Cant get your team members to perform well? Make the Pygmalion effect work in your favour.
Not getting the desired results from your team members? You think, they are slow, inaccurate and not as committed as you want them to be? Before you set out to correct them, check whether the Pygmalion effect is working against you.
But what is the Pygmalion effect?
Also known as the self-fulfilling prophecy, this effect suggests that people’s performance can be influenced hugely by the expectations placed upon them. When someone is expected to succeed,do well, they often rise to meet those expectations. On the other hand when someone is expected to fail or be mediocre, they perform poorly as a result.
There are several studies which have proven this. When new teachers are told that their students are gifted and committed, they communicate with them, deal with them in a particular way which makes even average students end up over exceeding expectations. How does this work? I will not have the time to explain the science behind this miracle. But please read about it.
This research extends well beyond the classroom. In the workplace, managers’ expectations about their team members can greatly influence their performance. So treat this video as a reminder of the powerful influence you hold and the potential you have to unleash your team’s true capabilities.
When you meet a fresh graduate who has recently joined your team or lets say if you have newly taken over the leadership responsibilities of a team, what is the expectation level that you have from day 1 ? On a scale of 1 to 10, how committed, competent, proactive and professional do you expect them to be? 9, 10 or 2,3. Please note that more than anything else, this level of expectation that you start with will dictate the kind of performance that you will eventually get out of your team members.
So if you are someone who keeps low expectations from people, you have to sort your attitude out first. You could be influenced by past experiences, biases, stereotypes, or a lack of understanding of the individual’s capabilities. Some of us may have worked in environments where we have witnessed consistent underperformance which may have lead to the development of a default mindset of low expectations.
How do we correct this?
1- Awareness: Start by becoming aware of your own expectations about each of your team members and the potential impact they can have on them.
2- Self-reflection: Reflect on the reasons behind your low expectations. Examine whether they are based on objective evidence or personal biases.
3- Perspective changing: Deliberately and consistently start looking for strengths and achievements in people. It would help to keep a journal about each of your team members. With time, this will become natural and your mindset will change.
There is a beautiful story behind the word Pygmalion. As the Greek legend goes, Pygmalion was a renowned sculptor. Once he creates a beautiful statue of a woman and then falls head over heels in love with his own creation. For years and years, he just keeps looking at the statue, besotted by her beauty. Finally the gods, impressed by his devotion, gives life to the statue and turns it into a lovely woman.
Dear friends, if we as managers can spot and respect the strengths each of our team members bring to the workplace and also have high expectations from each one of them, these strengths will come alive and we will be rewarded with amazing, record breaking results.
So start making the Pygmalion effect working for you. Trust me. It works.
#MissionInspire1Million 