Mirror, mirror on the wall The symbiotic relationship between reflected appraisals and high quality

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Mirror, mirror on the wall The symbiotic
relationship between reflected appraisals and
high quality connections

• Laura Morgan Roberts
• Harvard Business School
• From the Wings to Center Stage Symposium
• Academy of Management 2003

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An interesting question

• How do individuals respond to others positive
  and negative perceptions of them, in order to
  construct viable professional images and
  strengthen the quality of their relationships
  with key constituents, even across dimensions of
  difference that are both organizationally and
  culturally embedded?

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The symbiotic relationship between reflected
appraisals and high quality connections
Compensatory Impression Management
Internal or Interpersonal Disconnects
Damaging Disconnects
Pain
Superficial Connection
Rewards
Enabling Connections
Generative Impression Management
High Quality Connection
Vitality
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Learning points

• Damaging disconnects provoke compensatory,
  self-protective impression management, which may
  beget a deeper sense of internal and
  interpersonal disconnection.
• Enabling connections inspire generative
  impression management, which creates the
  possibility for deeper connection through
  authenticity.
• Authenticity carries the risk of breaking a
  connection, but inauthenticity limits the
  potential for connection to occur.

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New frontier for relationship research

• How can individuals transform damaging
  disconnects into enabling, high quality
  connections?
• As contexts for identity construction and
  relational development, how can organizations
  encourage individuals to reveal their best selves
  to others? How can they encourage individuals to
  mirror and reflect others best selves to them?