Here's how your productivity level is directly connected to your manager.

In the 1960's Robert Rosenthal, a researcher at Harvard University, conducted a revolutionary study in the classroom. At the beginning of the year, he administered a non-verbal IQ test to students in 18 classrooms at the elementary level. Based on the results from the test, he told the teachers who the intellectual bloomers were, indicating that they would improve markedly in comparison to the other students. Then he tested the same group of children 8 months later and found that these students had managed to increase their IQ considerably more than the control group.

What he didnít tell the teachers was these intellectual bloomers had actually been chosen completely at random. In other words, these children did not have any exceptional abilities; rather it was the belief on behalf of the teachers that was the only difference in how they performed.

Since that famous study, this experiment has been replicated several times in the classroom and is referred to as the Pygmalion effect, named after the mythical sculptor who carves his ideal woman out of stone and she eventually comes to life as a self-fulfilling prophecy. We have also observed this in healthcare, often known as the placebo effect. If the expectations of teachers and doctors can have these profound effects then wouldnít raising manager expectations also improve performance? According to the research, the answer is yes.

Over the years, studies of the Pygmalion effect have been replicated in the workplace and it has been shown that manager expectations do have an impact on employee performance. Research shows that 79% of the people in the high expectations group outperformed the average person in the control group. When a manager has high expectations of an employee this raises the employeeís self-expectations, resulting in an increase in their own performance. Thus, the manager's expectation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This study has obvious ramifications for how we manage people. Trusting in employee's abilities and having high expectations gives managers the freedom to let employees work autonomously, a key factor for job satisfaction.

These effects were found to be true even when the opposite management behavior was observed. When managers had low expectations of their employees, performance was negatively impacted. Apparently these effects were found even when managers did not explicitly communicate their negative expectations to employees. Research shows that managers subconsciously communicate their lack of confidence in their low expectation employees through subtle body language without even being aware of it. This has ramifications for employees as we tend to show up how we are expected to show up, good or bad. Given this information, what do you do if your manager doesnít believe in you?

One strategy is to set up a time to talk to your manager about his or her expectations of your role. It is always a good idea to ensure you are both on the same page. Remember, it doesn't matter what reality is, if your manager perceives your performance a certain way that is his or her reality. When I have been unable to get through to people, I often call upon others who have a good relationship with that person for advice. I ask, "In your opinion, what is Bob's idea of excellence in this role?" It is a positive approach that can give you good insight.

If you are an employee and your manager has low expectations of you, keep in mind the effect this may be having on your performance. Hiring a coach outside of the organization or finding a mentor within the organization can have a dramatic effect on improving your performance. In the absence of a good supportive manager at work, a coach with high expectations may be the key that allows you to flourish at work. When someone trusts in our abilities and believes in us, especially at times when we are doubtful of our own abilities, it compels us to reciprocate by fulfilling those expectations. Indeed sometimes it is the trust others have in us that propel us to new heights and motivate us to perform.

By Louisa Jewell, MAPP

Co-founder of www.WhyDidYouGo.com

Improving happiness at work, one workplace at a time

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Louisa Jewell
		About the author:
		I am the co-founder of www.whydidyougo.com and a consultant, facilitator and speaker. I work with organizations and leaders to create positive work environments that promote higher levels of performance and well-being. I am a positive psychology specialist and have just recently graduated from the ground-breaking Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania. The MAPP program is led by renowned psychologist, Martin Seligman and is the first masters program in the world that offers in-depth study of the science of human flourishing which I use with my organizational clients.
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