Why You Should Not Focus on Self Esteem

 

It’s important to have workers and teams with the ability to persevere. When they have this ability, they are better able to drive results you want, to push through obstacles effectively, to work ethically and avoid problematic short cuts, among many other benefits.

So how do you, as a project manager, build the ability of workers and teams to persevere? Should you bring in a motivational speaker to build up your project team? Or should you bring in a basic training sergeant to scare them into persevering?

It was not that clear until relatively recently, where researchers found a link between perseverance and self esteem. Basically, in the study, researchers raised their subject’s self esteem using mental imagery. Researchers also reduced subject’s self esteem using opposite mental images. Then, in each case, they had their subjects attempt to make a complex decision. The interesting results were:

• Those who had their self-esteem raised did not want to risk losing that self esteem, so did not persevere to complete the complex decision.
• Those who had their self-esteem lowered worked harder to solve the complex problem, to build back their self-esteem.

It turns out that self esteem can be fragile if it is not based on something tangible. Self esteem that is achieved by accomplishing something difficult is not as fragile.

The implications project managers:  There is now an even stronger reason to give the right type of balanced feedback to workers and teams. The right feedback can align attention and perseverance on those factors that will lead to better performance. Don’t focus on self esteem. Focus on feedback.

Specific Feedback Tips

• Don’t give vague praise. This will build fragile self esteem that can lead to avoidance of problem solving.
• When providing positive feedback, do be specific on what was done right and why it is being recognized.
• Don’t give vague instructions to “do better”. This will be a lost opportunity.
• Give very specific clear constructive feedback on performance or behavior. While this may temporarily reduce self esteem, it will motivate the worker to build back self esteem by closing the gap.
• More leverage:  Coach your team leads to provide feedback in the same way.
• Treat teams just like workers. Give specific and balanced feedback.

Forego the motivational speaker and the drill sergeant. Just refine your skill at providing feedback and you can build up your project team’s ability to persevere.

You can listen to a radio interview that explains the research in a little more detail.