The Final (& Sneakiest) Habits Hurting Your Perception at Work

In the last two posts, I wrote about the subtle habits, like over-explaining or becoming the voice of pessimism, that quietly chip away at how you’re perceived at work, even if you're delivering strong results.

Want to catch up? Part 1: Softening Language; Part 2: Overexplaining & Pessimism

Today, let's wrap up with two of the sneakiest and most damaging habits I've noticed derail talented people: changing your story and treating a meeting like the finish line.

Habit #4: Changing Your Story Based on Who’s in the Room

It might feel strategic:

• You soften the truth to your manager.

• You amplify risks to your peers.

• You present a polished, problem-free picture to senior leadership.

You might genuinely believe you’re helping everyone or avoiding unnecessary conflict. But when your messages vary based on who’s listening, you risk becoming the person no one fully trusts.

Your colleagues notice when your story changes depending on the audience. Once trust starts to erode, it’s incredibly difficult to rebuild.

I once worked with a leader who desperately wanted everyone to like them. Rather than maintaining a consistent narrative, they adjusted their message to match whoever was in the room. As a result, whenever discussions happened without this leader present, confusion, misalignment, and even arguments erupted. Their inability to stick to one consistent message created dysfunction throughout the organization.

Don't fall into this trap. Here’s how to avoid it:

Prepare your core message first.

Be crystal clear about your facts and core messaging before tailoring anything. Write it down if necessary. Clarity prevents you from slipping into convenient but inconsistent narratives.

Far too often, I’ve seen people completely wing meetings and regular communications. Their unpreparedness leads them to over-explain and have an unclear message and goal. Not preparing your core message is like a musician going into a concert with no setlist. They go off of the crowd's vibes to give them what they want. This may work when trying to entertain, but it won’t work when trying to influence.

Adapt tone or emphasis, but never the facts.

Adjust how you deliver the message to resonate with your audience, but never compromise on fundamental truths. Facts shouldn’t bend to comfort or convenience.

At a recent People Leader offsite, we revisited one of my favorite communication frameworks: "What, So What, Now What." The insight we discovered is that the “What” rarely changes. It’s the “So What” (why it matters) and the “Now What” (what actions to take) that should shift based on whether you’re speaking to a direct report, peer, or senior leader. Keep the "What" consistent.

Own uncomfortable truths.

People respect integrity more than ease. Be open when the truth isn’t ideal or comfortable. Addressing tough conversations transparently builds lasting credibility.

A few weeks ago, I discussed the difference between seeking approval versus respect. Doing what's difficult and leaning into uncomfortable conversations earns you respect. Choosing short-term ease and avoiding conflict might gain temporary approval but costs long-term respect.

Here's a helpful guide on having difficult conversations to support you.

Now that you’re prepared to communicate a consistent message, let’s move on to the final habit that can negatively impact your perception at work: treating meetings like the finish line.

Habit #5: Treating Meetings Like the Finish Line

Here’s the trap many of us fall into:

• You prepped meticulously.

• You had a clear and consistent message.

• You ran an effective meeting.

• You achieved your goal for the meeting.

And then… you moved on to the next thing.

Outcomes rarely come from meetings, they come from what happens after. Meetings are just the spark. They surface ideas, raise objections, and outline plans. But the real value is delivered through follow-up and follow-through.

I once led a high-stakes meeting with senior leadership to present an engagement survey action plan. The conversation was dynamic and energizing, and it seemed to reflect full alignment…or so I thought.

What I didn’t do? Document and recap the key decisions and commitments.

Weeks later, when it came time to act, everyone remembered things differently. Priorities clashed. Wires crossed. Progress stalled.

I had to re-present the entire plan to get everyone back on the same page.

To stop falling into this habit:

Clearly recap actions and decisions at the end of the meeting.

Restate who is responsible for each action and what the deadlines are. If you don’t write it down and assign owners and dates, it may not happen.

Think about it: how many action items from meetings actually get done?

We spend an average of 392 hours per year in meetings, and 71% of them are considered unproductive by employees. A big reason? We don’t translate discussion into action.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply write down some takeaways, send a follow up email, and ensure everyone is aligned.

Actively follow up 1:1 afterward, especially with quieter voices.

Not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in meetings. Depending on the size of the group, there’s a good chance someone disagreed or had concerns but didn’t voice them.

Reach out individually to participants who didn’t contribute much, or who showed hesitation. Ask a few open-ended questions:

• How do you feel about the meeting?

• What, if anything, is stopping you from committing?

• Are there any additional perspectives you'd like to share?

Valuable insights often emerge in these quieter moments. Open-ended questions help you uncover those perspectives, and ensure others follow through on what they’ve agreed to.

Create buffer time after big meetings

We’ve all been there. You wrap up a big meeting… and immediately jump into the next one about a completely different topic.

Back-to-back meetings don’t just increase stress, they lead to context switching that makes you miss key details:

• Who stayed quiet

• What actions were committed to

• What quick wins could build momentum

Schedule a short buffer after critical meetings. Use that time to process what was discussed and jot down the next steps while they’re still fresh.

Ultimately, meetings help create the setlist. You still need to go out there and peform. Don’t forget that.

Over the past few posts, we’ve unpacked five subtle habits that quietly shape how others perceive you at work.

None of them are about performance. None are about how smart, capable, or experienced you are.

They are small behaviors that influence what people say about you when you’re not in the room.

Let’s recap them:

1. Softening language - unintentionally weakening your message.

2. Over-explaining – muddling your message and undercutting your confidence.

3. Becoming the voice of pessimism – unintentionally dragging energy down.

4. Changing your story based on the room – eroding trust with inconsistency.

5. Treating meetings like the finish line – missing the moment to drive action.

We often fall into these categories because we care. About being understood. About not disappointing. About doing our best.

But good intentions don’t always translate to good impressions.

The folks who earn trust and influence? They’re not just great at doing the work. They’re consistent and clear. People know they can count on them to be consistent.

Adjusting these things doesn’t start with reinvention. It starts with awareness, followed by a few intentional shifts in how you show up.

The best part? These are learnable.

You don’t need to be perfect. Small changes, big impact. You got this!

Thanks for sticking with me through all five! Next week, I’ll be back with a recap of The Clea-rEyed View's first six months.

Until Next Time,

Winston

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