BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
HITLER HAD HIGH SELF ESTEEM So any general efforts to boost the self esteem of the workforce could well be wasted, and worse, there is a downside to people having high or inflated self esteem. Boosting the self esteem of a narcissist i.e. a vain, conceited and self important person can be counter-productive. Narcissists can start out being very charming but they can end up alienating people especially when things do not go their way. Then can turn on the very people whose self esteem they had built up. A powerful example of this would be Adolph Hitler who had high self esteem and knew how to make people feel good about themselves.
As a trainer or performance consultant I am regularly called in by employers to work with teams and individual employees who are under-performing. Some of my clients have even asked me to give their team ‘a boost’ (a boost to their self esteem). When I meet the people concerned it is often very clear that the team’s morale is low. Despite this there are usually individuals who are working hard and working well even though morale is low.
SLOW TO PRAISE BUT QUICK TO CRITICISE
When I probe the team morale problem I often find that part of the problem is that the team feels under-valued, they are rarely consulted on important issues and recognition is hardly ever given by employers. On the other hand criticism is given on an almost daily basis.
This approach characterised by many as management being ‘slow to praise but quick to criticise’ is often believed to be necessary ‘so that staff do not become complacent’ or ‘come to expect praise all the time’.
And yet whenever I ask people (and I have asked hundreds) if they get too much praise at work they almost universally say they do not get enough. When I ask people if they would like a little more recognition - the vast majority say that more recognition would be appreciated.
There is research that shows whether or not it affects performance people like to be happy at work and, in my experience, they prefer to be around happy people. Happy workmates can help make the work a more enjoyable experience.
On balance the evidence is clear that employers should use praise: to boost staff self esteem - as a reward for doing a job well or making a special effort.
From my experience as an employer and as a performance consultant I have concluded that team leaders need good self esteem (see points 1-3) and teams should learn to appreciate and value each other more.
Frank Newberry
www.franknewberry.com
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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