Factors That Affect Perception: The Halo-Effect

Perception is never the same as reality and the halo-effect is a common culprit in the way our perception of our environment gets skewed.

image credit: assap.ac.uk

Say a subordinate we shall name ‘A’ has this extremely abrasive, in-you-face manner of expressing his opinions that really irks his superior. This one defect blinds his superior to A’s diligent work habits, his punctuality and his high moral values. She cannot see beyond his loud and brash behaviour. When it is time for her to evaluate his performance, this halo-effect will distort her perception of his work and, in turn, will affect A’s career prospects.

When you put a spotlight on one particular characteristic, whether it is categorised by you as good or bad, you blind yourself to other valid characteristics a person, place or event may have.

Beware of halo-effect! It will affect and distort your perception of the world around you.

The author, Dr. Ranee Kaur Banerjee, is Managing Partner at Expressions@Work, a training, consulting and mentoring studio for the development of communication and soft skills