Frequent contact in the beginning of the relationship gives the boss ample opportunity to communicate with subordinates about priorities, performance measures, time allocation, and even expectations of the type and frequency of communication. In fact, a workplace dynamic that sets up certain employees to fail is alive and well in many businesses. If you wantindeed, needthe people in your organization to devote their whole hearts and minds to their work, then you must, too. I never really got to use these tools and when I attempted to do so in a very minimal way, was roundly criticized and slandered. For example, in the case of Steve and Jeff, Jeff could have made explicit very early on that he wanted Steve to set up a system that would analyze the root causes of quality control rejections systematically. 2. Furthermore, even if the subordinate achieves better results, it may take some time for them to register with the boss because of his selective observation and recall. Bosses tend to avoid initiating these talks because they are concerned about the way the subordinate might react; the discussion could force the boss to make explicit his lack of confidence in the subordinate, in turn putting the subordinate on the defensive and making the situation worse.2. Rather than thank you for demonstrating loyalty and a can-do attitude (after all, you could have just quietly looked for another job, and quit), your boss gets defensive. First, he advises documenting every verbal conversation you have with someone whom you think is out to get you. Rather than arguing with him, Ive ended up wanting to say, Come on, just tell me what you want me to do, and Ill go do it. You become a robot. Another perceived weak performer explained, When my boss tells me to do something, I just do it mechanically., Shutting down also involves disengaging personallyessentially reducing contact with the boss. Jean-Franois Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux July 01, 2009 Reading Time: 27 min Subscribe Permissions and PDF Share Worst of all, you dont dare contradict her, because arguing with your boss about her assessment of you is rarely (if ever) a good idea! The write ups escalate. The first known documented use of "set up to . Or the employee isnt driven to succeed, cant set priorities, or wont take direction. 9. Ironically, the boss sees the subordinates withdrawal as proof that the subordinate is indeed a poor performer. In other words, it makes sense to think of the intervention as an investment, not an expensewith the payback likely to be high. He must, for instance, select a time and place to conduct the meeting so that it presents as little threat as possible to the subordinate. When they don't do either, and blame you for failing, theyre projecting their failure onto you. They cannot be based on feelingsas in Jeff telling Steve, I just have the feeling youre not putting enough energy into the reports. Instead, Jeff needs to describe what a good report should look like and the ways in which Steves reports fall short. In the corridors or over lunch, they seek out sympathetic ears to vent their recriminations and complaints, not only wasting their own time but also pulling their colleagues away from productive work. Very commonits almost like a low key form of harassment in my opinion! For instance, my last position had the perfect interview sessions that centered on topics I was both experienced in and passionate about and based on this I accepted the position. You get set up for failure. Internal communication is vital to organizational health. You sue, and start taking depositions of all of your co-workers, who were your BFFs when you worked there. As part of the intervention, the boss should bring up the subject of how his own behavior may affect the subordinates performance. If I mentioned I was going to arrive at the office at 9 AM, he'd come at 8:59 AM to show that he was more dedicated. Here are four signs you may be dealing with that situation. If you keep trying to confront someone who hates in-person confrontation, you aren't going to get very far. General Discussion Like a co-worker or supervisor who treated you poorly and you noticed they were working on a project but were doing it incorrectly and you just went about your day without saying anything even though you knew they would face repercussions? This is your chance to ask about the review process, and how performance is tied to compensation. First, uneasy relationships with perceived low performers often sap the bosss emotional and physical energy. My parents bought me a dollhouse, but I had to set it up myself. Employee A's failure confirms his boss's perception of him as a weak performer. It is not surprising that on the basis of these assumptions, bosses tend to treat weaker and stronger performers very differently. The first study, which comprised surveys, interviews, and observations, involved 50 boss-subordinate pairs in four manufacturing operations in Fortune 100 companies. The process is self-fulfilling because the bosss actions contribute to the very behavior that is expected from weak performers. It is important to note that one of the signs of a setup for failure is the tendency to shift blame. Meetings are canceled. From what I have learned, it has everything to do with working environment and structure. You've also made it clear you're not happy at work, and if she cant fix whats broken, youre likely to stay that way. Arent there a few things that he does well? Blame shifting. Is there a formal system, like an intranet, newsletter, or regularly scheduled meetings?. Even if theres a written job description, use this opportunity to clarify any parts that are vague or subjective. The subordinate will probably be somewhat uncomfortable as well, and it is reassuring for him to see that his boss is a human being, too. I do now., Finally, shutting down can mean becoming defensive. Start by explaining the situation to your partner. From the subordinates point of view, however, such involvement by the boss is more likely to be accepted, and possibly even welcomed, if the goal is to help the subordinate develop and improve over time. We have seen it happen to people perceived within their organizations to be excellent bosses. Most companies want to stay within the law and avoid legal tangles. Working his ass off to succeed with this task won't help him long term. That approach has the short-term benefit of bypassing the discomfort of an open discussion, but it has three major disadvantages. The boss might even try to describe the dynamics of the set-up-to-fail syndrome. Buying time while looking for a new opportunity may not always be possible because any reasonable action like making it known that you don't have the tools or information required to do the job as you understand it, can be intentionally interpreted negatively since in many cases, the goal is to get you to leave immediately if not 'yesterday', or orchestrate a false narrative to be used as justification of firing. By creating and reinforcing a dynamic that essentially sets up perceived underperformers to fail. Indeed, numerous studies have shown that up to 90% of all managers treat some subordinates as though they were members of an in-group, while they consign others to membership in an out-group. Take precautions against co-worker sabotage It is wise to have some good measures in place to protect yourself if you ever fall under a colleague's attack. Finally, managers avoid the set-up-to-fail syndrome by creating an environment in which employees feel comfortable discussing their performance and their relationships with the boss. It describes a dynamic in which employees perceived to be mediocre or weak performers live down to the low expectations their managers have for them. Make sure you know the answers to these questions before you accept the position: Why is this position vacant, and how long did the previous employee work here?. Adding to the confusion is the fact that he hired her, and you have no authority to discipline her. He could have explained the benefits of establishing such a system during the initial stages of setting up the new production line, and he might have expressed his intention to be actively involved in the systems design and early operation. Whatever the reason, the problem is assumed to be the employees faultand the employees responsibility. The syndrome usually begins surreptitiously. Check yourself for the following feelings: Look around for people doing the following (especially people in power): When job descriptions and objectives are unclear, it's tough to determine who's responsible forwhat, and how to prioritize. NOTE: This phenomenon is more common in smaller companies and startups. Put on your neutral-observer hat and share your feelings without accusation or blame - pretend you are an objective news reporter and attempt to explain both sides. Unaware of Jeffs motives, Steve balked. Good managers set people up to succeed. Are bosses aware of this sorting process and of their different approaches to in and out employees? Be reliable. Also, being new on the job himself, Jeff wanted to show his own boss that he was on top of the operation. In addition, alienated subordinates often do not keep their suffering to themselves. To place something in a high or upright position: Please set the books up on the top shelf. His relocation may also open up a spot in his old job for a better performer. Remembering the several times she turned you away herself, youre left shaking your head wondering what she expected? As a senior executive once said to us, The respect you give is the respect you get. We concur. The executives in the second study represented a wide diversity of nationalities, industries, and personal backgrounds. There are two obvious costs of the set-up-to-fail syndrome: the emotional cost paid by the subordinate and the organizational cost associated with the companys failure to get the best out of an employee. The boss then takes what seems like the obvious action in light of the subordinates perceived shortcomings: he increases the time and attention he focuses on the employee. It's called "set up to fail." It happens when you fear that, no matter what you do or how hard you try, you're always going to come up short. They do not, interestingly, behave the same way with all subordinates. If your colleagues place the blame for an office problem on you, immediately defend yourself, in person and in writing, to your supervisor or an upper-level manager and set the record straight. He's setting me up. We just want to hire the best people, and the rest will take care of itself!. A version of this article appeared in the, The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: How Good Managers Cause Great People to Fail, ALIEN Thinking: The Unconventional Path to Breakthrough Ideas. Definitely. All they have to do is compare how they are treated with how their more highly regarded colleagues are treated. The boss might even want to mentally play out part of the conversation beforehand. You get excluded. The set-up-to-fail syndrome is not an organizational fait accompli. Do you feel like you cant trust anyone? 2. Set yourself up for success. He must have displayed above-average qualifications when we decided to hire him. The sadistic boyfriend sabotages his girlfriend's graduation by breaking up with her the day before, effectively tarnishing a celebration of her accomplishments that she's been looking forward to for months. His boss expressed great confidence in him and gave him an excellent performance rating. Many perceived underperformers start devoting more energy to self-justification. See also: set, up. In any case, the syndrome is set in motion when the boss begins to worry that the employees performance is not up to par. The idea here is that before working to improve performance or reduce tension in a relationship, an agreement must be reached about what areas of performance contribute to the contentiousness. Yet there are other costs to consider, some of them indirect and long term. The net result is that the boss and the subordinate feel free to communicate frequently and to ask one another questions about their respective behaviors before problems mushroom or ossify. That is not all bad. 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