Intangible Achievements! - Organizational Behaviour
Reading Time: 6 minutes (940 words) Key learnings:
- An imbalance in the achievement–contentm ent equation results in a 'pyrrhic achievement' condition
- Leaders need to be wary of the behavioural indicators of the pyrrhic achievement condition to ensure a happy staff
"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." – Albert Einstein.
The quote summarises the essence of human accomplishments. The pressure to perform and achieve consistently, together with the failure to assess the achievements in terms of happiness and contentment, has become the breeding ground for workplace stress, anxiety and depression.
Competition in the corporate world has got employees trapped in a pattern of pursuing credentials to prove their worth and reassure themselves of heir 'superiority'. People are caught in the race to become the best without really doing their best. According to corporate psychologists, this disconnect between the end and the means to achieve the end is what is leading to discomfort among employees. Achievements are the means to reaching a state of fulfilment and happiness. However, most workers have rechristened achievements as their new 'end', thus disturbing the fine balance between satisfaction and achievement. The need to restore the balance is urgent. Organisations must revisit their performance criterion and provide a healthy platform for employees to perform, shunning their compulsive drive to achieve at all costs.
Pyrrhic achievement
The onus of framing the right performance parameters and keeping employees motivated in the right direction lies with leaders. Thus, the need to understand the dynamics of human motivation is important for them.
Human accomplishments often suffer from a condition called 'pyrrhic achievement'. This is a condition where individuals make sacrifices that are incommensurate with rewards. For instance, for a salary hike of 25 percent, an individual may forego all other commitments and land up in a marital soup. Such disconnected achievement and reward equations can be damaging to a person's effectiveness in the long run. Thus, expending or misdirecting too many resources towards one achievement can be detrimental to individual efficacy. The right measure of effort that should be put in to accomplish a task/goal can be determined by the possible price that one would have to pay for doing so. Therefore, before people get into a project or a work contract, it is advisable to first develop an understanding of the worthiness of the task in terms of the extent of work and the commitment needed to accomplish it.
The achievement–contentm ent balance is sacred and can be used as an indicator of the pyrrhic condition. Any disturbance in the balance is indicative of stress and burnout. Every individual has a unique balance, as people differ in their ability to take on multiple tasks, manage stress and yet stay happy. Multitasking comes naturally for some, while for others, it may be a 'monstrous' thing that leaves them stressed and burnt out. Developing feelers for this difference in individual capabilities and tolerance levels is important for leaders to delegate work effectively and define accountability.
Apart from the impact on organisational performance, a dysfunctional achievement–contentm ent balance also manifests in other ways. The basic fabric of our society, irrespective of the culture, demographic parameters and geography, emphasises and celebrates the 'numero uno'. One cannot make it to the list of best achievers if the achievements are not dramatic, risk-personified and gigantic. Newsmakers are generally individuals who accomplish great feats amidst high drama, attracting the attention of everybody. This attitude of our society has created a feeling of 'worthlessness' among those who do not make it to the top, but have their own claim to fame. It is for the leaders to challenge this mindset and acknowledge people who may not be successful, yet make significant contributions in the workplace.
The dynamics of human psychology presents many challenges and offers lessons for leaders. Those who analyse and understand the nuances of human behaviour find it much easier to leverage and channelise human potential to create a win-win situation. However, the upside is capped for leaders who fail to understand the uniqueness of human personality and apply a blanket approach to manage their people asset.
Beware!
The following is an account of indicators of dysfunctional achievement. An understanding of how dysfunctional achievement–contentm ent balance manifests itself is important for leaders and employees, as it would help them stay wary of work-induced stress, anxiety and depression.
Devaluing achievements:
Many times, individuals tend to underplay their achievements after attaining success. This attitude gives them little time to celebrate, as they move on to the next goal, inviting new challenges and reasons to worry about.
Internalising benchmarks:
Individuals who work against their own internalised benchmarks and take stress every time they fail to meet the standards are perpetually cribbing and moaning over their limitations. Treating life like a race can be the most damaging attitude for human wellbeing.
Wrong criteria:
People perpetually measure their success against others' achievements. This often leads to a lingering sense of worthlessness and inadequacy.
Underplaying success and overdoing failure:
We seldom get excited about little feats, but always brood over tiny failures. This attitude enhances one's feeling of inadequacy, leading one to feel more miserable and less satisfied with oneself.
These behavioural manifestations are indicators of a lurking achievement dysfunction. At an individual level, people need to develop awareness about their behavioural patterns; for leaders, these indicators spell danger. The onus of developing a happy mindset rests with the leaders. Infusing a culture tipped with positivity and tolerance to failure will help employees feel driven to achieve, without feeling unduly stressed. Such an attitude will not only help spread happiness, but will also keep the pyrrhic achievement condition away.
Published by TheManageMentor
Compiled by Amresh Anjan
