- House of Leadership
- Posts
- The Impact of Your Expectations on Performance
The Impact of Your Expectations on Performance
Last weekās issue: 5 Crucial Conversations that Make or Break Your Team
If you're just joining us, welcome to House of Leadershipāa weekly leadership newsletter helping leaders grow their careers.
If you find value in these newsletters and would like to support this publication, you can become a paid subscriber.
Looking to start a newsletter? Use Beehiiv (itās what we use)
Learn AI in 5 minutes a day.
The Rundown is the worldās most trusted AI newsletter, with over 700,000+ readers staying up-to-date with the latest AI news, understanding why it matters, and learning how to apply it in their work.
Their expert research team spends all day learning whatās new in AI, then distills the most important developments into one free email every morning.
What weāll learn today
What is the Pygmalion effect?
Seeing it in the classroom environment
What influence are you having on your team?
How to distribute yourself fairly
The Pygmalion Effect is a psychological phenomenon where higher expectations lead to an increase in performance.
Letās examine two examples.
In the workplace, the Pygmalion Effect highlights how a managerās expectations can influence an employeeās productivity and performance. Managers who believe in their employees' potential are more likely to invest in their development and offer positive reinforcement, which strengthens employees' confidence and elevates their performance.
Now, consider the impact this can have on a studentās life when the right teacher is in their corner. Reflecting on my education, a student who behaves well and consistently completes their homework experiences a very different level of support and encouragement compared to a student who often misbehaves or is disengaged.
When a teacher believes a child is capable of success, they tend to dedicate more resources and attention to that child. This added support and expectation drive the child to increase their effort and improve their performance.
Returning to the workplace, this principle holds true for leadership as well. Setting high expectations and showing belief in someoneās potential can motivate them to achieve far more than if they feel unsupported or doubted.
A leaderās high expectations often become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as these beliefs encourage greater effort from both the leader and the team member, making success more attainable.
By setting high standards for everyone and investing in those who need extra support, leaders can build high-performing, more engaged teams.
Leaders play a vital role and often, without even realizing it, they bring the Pygmalion Effect to life.
How can you make sure the Pygmalion Effect is empowering your team in a positive way?
1/ Belief - Foster a strong sense of belief and confidence in your team members. While they may not be where they need to be today, with ongoing practice and effort, they can reach impressive heights.
2/ Kaizen - Set high standards and emphasise continuous improvement. This approach keeps momentum, prevents stagnation, and encourages innovation and growth.
3/ Gold - Focus on finding the positive in every situation. Mistakes will happen, but thereās always something to learn. Encourage a mindset shift from āWhy is this happening to me?ā to āThis is happening for meā to stay focused on progress rather than setbacks.
Photo by Andrew Ridley on Unsplash
4/ Equality - Allocate your time and resources fairly, ensuring everyone has opportunities to grow, whether they are top performers or need additional support. Balance your efforts between helping those who are struggling and lifting high achievers to even greater heights.
5/ Future Self - Focus on each personās potential and what they could achieve with the right behaviours, guidance, and coaching. Visualize their future success and actively support their journey. Share your vision of their future self with them to inspire confidence and drive.
Final words
As a leader, understanding the Pygmalion Effect is essential, as your expectations can greatly impact your teamās performance. When you believe in your teamās potential and set high standards, you cultivate an environment where individuals feel supported and motivated to excel. Your positive expectations inspire greater effort, leading to improved results.
By promoting a culture of continuous growth, fairness, and forward-looking support, you help team members realize their full potential, boosting overall team performance and engagement.
Reply to let me know what you thought of todayās newsletter!
David
David Marsh
Want more?
š Subscribe to my premium newsletter for exclusive insights, proven strategies, and next-level growth tips that you wonāt find anywhere else
Reply