How Good Is Your Image ?

Just how good is your image? This matters as your functional or technical competence alone will not pave the way for your growth within your organisation.

A study at Emory University answers the question: “Is Your Image Hindering Your Career Growth?”

Work on cultivating a positive image as this will get you noticed. A positive image supplements your professional competence and makes you come across as being more capable of taking up higher responsibilities.

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Social Comparison-Upward & Downward

Spent some time last week with an executive who was making all the wrong comparisons. He felt that just because he had some credentials (such as educational qualifications and job experience) he should have been considered for an opening in a new division within his organisation.

Explained to him about social comparison – upward and downward- and how this influences the way we feel and react.

Jared Sandberg writes about this in the Wall Street Journal. ” It’s all part of what’s called social-comparison theory: We compare ourselves with others because it can feel great. Sometimes, we engage in “upward social comparison” to higher status individuals to improve our self-image by pointing out similarities. (Hey, I’m a Mets fan, too, ergo, EVP material).

We also make “downward social comparisons” to thank our lucky stars that our troubles aren’t so bad. At the office, even the mousiest employees can feel emboldened simply by witnessing relatively more clueless recruits joining the company every year.”

The Social Comparison Theory, propounded first by Festinger, says that we as individuals have a drive within us to look to outside images to evaluate our own opinions and abilities.

6,6,6,6,6,6,

36 runs in one over! 50 runs in 12 balls! India’s Yuvaraj Singh tore into the England attack to be instrumental in his team’s 18 run victory over England yesterday. I am glad I saw one of the best innings one will see in Twenty20 cricket.

Only 3 others have hit 6 sixers in one over. The great Sir Gary Sobers many years ago and our own Ravi Shastri – but both were in first class, not international matches. Herschelle Gibbs became the first man to hit 6 sixes in an over in an international match during last year’s 50 over a side World Cup. He scored this against the Netherlands.

Yuvi’s feat of 50 runs in 12 balls gives hin the fastest 50 in Twenty20 cricket. His record of 6,6,6,6,6,6,6, can , at best, be equalled. Unless the bowler bowls a few no-balls and wides because of the beating!

It must give Yuvi great satisfaction, particularly since he was hit for 5 sixers by England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas in a ODI last month.