Here’s a tip…

Watch other people conversing from a distance, and try to figure out who is the victim and who is the perpetrator. People give out a lot of physical cues when they indulge in a conversation.

The human psyche is incomprehensible. It is as dangerous and vicious as it is beautiful and imaginative. Some call it a curse, some call it a boon. Even so, the mind is all we have, and our thoughts are all we live by. Our behavior and thoughts never develop on their own. They are a result of endless conditioning that we go through in our daily lives. Just like a child learns by watching his parents and siblings, an adult too is constantly perceiving new things and gaining new experiences. The undeniable consequence of these experiences is ‘influence’. Influence shapes our thoughts, beliefs, and ultimately our behavior. Most of these influences occur through observation and communication. This realization has led to an interesting practice of ‘conscious influencing’. Marketing giants and advertisers use these tricks on a daily basis to create an influence on their customers and sell their products. If you notice closely, some of those tricks are being used by people almost everyday (whether they are aware or not) to influence or convince other people. Here are some simple psychology tricks to influence others in a positive way.

Building Rapport Through Everyday Courtesy
Using Polite Expressions

The words ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ are magic words of persuasion. If you recall from your own experiences, you will definitely remember instances where you were able to persuade people by a simple combination of a smiling face and the word ‘please’. We all are taught and conditioned this way from childhood. Humans are pretty much used to reacting to these gestures in a particular way. We tend to be more open towards requests, rather than instructions. Sugarcoat these requests with polite expressions and you’ll at least have your request considered, if not accepted.

Listening

The most important part of any communication is listening, which sadly, most people ignore. Talking gets you attention, but what sustains it is listening. So, listen and reply. You’ll have the other person involved in what you say. Another surprising effect listening has on the other person is that he/she thinks of your whole act of listening as a favor being bestowed upon him/her, and will be obliged to owe you one.

Using Names and Titles

People love hearing their own names. They feel unique and respected. It sets them in the spotlight for you. Addressing them with titles gives them a feeling of acquaintance. Addressing him/her as a friend will speed up the process of moving over from acquaintanceship to friendship. The titles could also be something relating to their profession or passion. Be careful that you do not overdo this technique. You may end up sounding mocking and make them uncomfortable, which is the last thing you would want to happen.

Using Reciprocity and Mimicry to Persuade
Give and Take

People tend to be feel indebted towards you if you give them something or do something for them. The trick is doing it first and doing it spontaneously. If the other person does not expect something coming his way, he is more prone to have a deeper impact of your service and be influenced to a greater level. In short, he would be pleasantly surprised. Once he receives this service of yours, he will obviously want to give you something in return. That’s when you slip in your demand.

Repeating Speech and Action

Repeating something what another person says, and copying his gestures in a mild way, often establishes a comforting relationship for the other person towards you. Repeating his words makes him believe that he is being listened to and he has your attention. This method is often used by psychologists and therapists to make their patients comfortable and get them expressing. This trick will help you create a bond with the other person, and hence, they are more sensitive towards your demands and requests. Although, do take care of not overdoing this. You might come about as creepy and awkward.

Nodding

This is one of the most common tricks that can be used. When the other person talks and you agree, just nod in agreement. It is an effective visual cue for them that you confirm with their opinions, and they will end up doing the same when you are the one who is talking. This might sound a little bit odd, mostly because you are so unaware while doing it. Now that you are, pay attention and nod.

Using Contrast and Timing to Your Advantage
Contrasting

Contrasting is the technique where you demand much higher than what you actually want, and eventually bargain down to exactly what you wanted in the first place. It has been a highly effective technique, and is used quite often by many people. Human thinking is not absolute. We think of things in relation. And so, this technique works because of the contrasting difference of scale it creates in the mind of the other person. They feel a bit harsh themselves when they reject your initial unrealistic request, and jump right in at the next one that seems relatively doable.

Using Their Tiredness

When they are physically, and more importantly, mentally tired, people yield easy. You can look for signs of fatigue and jump right in. They may not have a definite answer for you right away, but neither will they have the energy to argue and reject your request. For a start, you’ll at least get your requests and demands through. The chances of this technique gaining success depends on the person really, but there’s no harm in trying!

Compliments and Commitments as Persuasion Tools
Compliment

This is an age-old technique, but still quite effective when it comes to persuasion. A good compliment always works in your favor. It will erase the possibility of formulation of any preconceived notions against you. It will get you in good light for the other person right at the beginning. Do make sure though to keep the compliments subtle and honest. Do not make it too obvious for them as to what is about to come from your side. A forced compliment is a nothing but a silly giveaway.

Getting a Commitment

People tend to stay on course on their commitments. It is a natural tendency we all have imbibed. We do not self-contradict. And this virtue can be used as an effective tool in persuasion. Get a ‘yes’ from the other person, and then gradually go on building upon it. It is hard for them to go back once they have made a commitment themselves. So, be sure about the initial commitment being something realistic and exciting for that person. Once they’re in, you can slowly start increasing your requests, eventually up to your intended request.

You are now a little more aware of how influence plays a huge role in manipulating people’s emotions and behavior. You can always have a little fun with some of these mind tricks to get what you want, but in a responsible and positive way. Do not, for any reason, try to use them to create any kind of mental distress to anyone. On the other hand, do watch out if you are being victimized by someone else. If so, you are not to be fooled anymore!

Employers sometimes worry about hiring experienced employees, due to the fear of having to pay them higher salaries. However, salary is a small investment you will have to make in order to make your work far more productive and cost-effective. Here are some other benefits of hiring experienced employees.

The only source of knowledge is experience.

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Albert Einstein

Why Experience Matters in the Workplace
Employees are the backbone of every organization. They are the machine which materialize every plan and the force which helps an organization climb the ladder of success. Recognizing the skills and abilities of your employees can inject some serious value addition into your productivity and creativity. Employees with years of work experience have a better understanding and grasp of the nature of work. This becomes the main reason for them to build a positive work environment, which allows others to learn from them.

Experienced employees are always easier to recruit, and it is also easy for them to adjust to a working culture, as compared to younger, fresher employees. Most human resource departments give preference to older employees, as the cost and time for training them is comparatively lower. Additionally, these individuals also bring in their expertise to the organization.

Advantages of Hiring Experienced Employees

Key Benefits of Hiring Experienced Employees
Priceless Experience

Experienced employees, not old employees, have a fair idea of work pressures, work cultures, and work ethics. Since they have been there and done that, working comes easier for them than the others. Their years of achievements, failures, trained judgment, and mature sense of responsibility can prove to be extremely advantageous to the given company. This helps in making the work streamlined, and reduces the effort of training.

Better Adaptability

Hiring experienced employees in this age would mean hiring those from the Baby Boomer Generation. Individuals born between the year 1946 and 1964 fall in this generation, and would count as those with good quality experience. To think of it logically, professionals from this generation have seen tremendous amount of change, technologically and socially. This has helped them cope with changes faster and better. Their careers have been marked with global expansion and the need to adapt to changes without much of a reaction time. This precise ability makes such employees best suited to work in a dynamic environment.

Commitment

It takes a while for a young employee to understand the gravity of his work, in order to make a serious commitment. However, experience teaches employees, that without commitment, no career can ever be made. An employer, many a time, has to deal with unplanned leaves, haphazard work, lack of seriousness towards work, and no understanding of punctuality, in the case of inexperienced employees. However, an experienced employee rarely takes a chance to flout commitment towards work.

Discipline

Discipline of any form is of utmost importance to excel at anything and everything you do. Having disciplined employees with an unwavering focus and dedication towards work can improve the productivity of an organization by leaps and bounds. Disciplined employees also help in maintaining a certain image of the company. It enhances the efficiency, and renders quality and quantity output.

Motivation and Inspiration

Hiring experienced employees always proves to be a motivation and source of inspiration to other younger employees. Their ability to set excellent examples for rest of the employees works well in favor of the employer. Younger employees look up to experienced and senior employees for advice and guidance. In its entirety, this helps in setting up a healthy working environment.

Perspective

Experience teaches those things that no training modules or textbooks can. It helps one gain great knowledge, presents an opportunity to gain expertise, and most importantly, gives one the ability to mold perspective. Being too stubborn about dealing with a certain problem can hamper personal and professional growth. The biggest gift of a successful employee is that of shifting perspectives of given matters. This kind of an attitude comes with time and experience. Younger employees join a company with certain preconceived notions, which makes them prisoners of their own perspectives.

Final Thoughts on Hiring Experienced Employees
An experienced employee can benefit the organization in more ways than one. Thus, the contribution of an experienced worker will positively impact the growth of a company.

The Galatea and Pygmalion effects are the two most important self-fulfilling prophecy theories. However, there lies a fundamental difference between them. The article to come will explain the subtle differences.

“How we believe the world is and what we honestly think it can become have powerful effects on how things will turn out.”

James Rhem
(summarizing the Pygmalion effect in his own words)

The Key Difference Between the Two Effects
The Galatea and Pygmalion effects are two important management theories based on the power of expectations. The fundamental difference between the two theories is that the Galatea effect is based on an individual’s expectations about himself, whereas the Pygmalion effect is based on the premise of people’s expectations of others.

In Greek mythology, the name “Galatea” is lent to a statue that is carved of ivory by Pygmalion of Cyprus. Also, Polyphemus’ object of desire in Theocritus’ Idylls VI and XI is named Galatea, and again it has been associated with him in the myth of Acis and Galatea in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Though there is an association of the name with Pygmalion’s statue, the connection sprang with a post-classical writer.

What Is the Galatea Effect?
Galatea Effect

The Galatea effect is a phenomenon where people’s own opinions about their ability and self-worth influence their performance. The Galatea effect is self-driven. It is that part of one’s motivation that depends on self-expectations and self-worth. If an employee thinks that he can perform well, chances are that he will do well. If, in that situation, he receives positive encouragement from his superiors, it will only boost his confidence and will do wonders to his performance.

What Is the Pygmalion Effect?
Pygmalion Effect

The Pygmalion, or Rosenthal effect refers to the phenomenon in which the higher the expectations placed on people — often students, employees, children etc., the better is their execution of work. The Pygmalion effect is a form of self-fulfilling divination. It argues that by setting higher expectations for people (who come under a leader), the leader can motivate them to perform better. It was originally studied in context with a teacher’s expectations of students. It was observed that the students, who were expected to do well did perform well, while the ones who weren’t expected to perform well, did not.

As is told in Greek mythology, the effect gets its name after Pygmalion, a Cypriot sculptor, who fell in love with a female statue that was carved by him. This effect, as applied to the corporate world, was first described by J. Sterling Livingston in an article in the Harvard Business Review in 1988. “The way managers treat their subordinates is subtly influenced by what they expect of them,” — said Livingston in his article. One can summarize the Pygmalion effect as follows:

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Every manager, or supervisor has certain expectations for his subordinates.

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They convey their expectations to them consciously and unconsciously.

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The subordinates get the message of what is expected of them.

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They strive to perform and live up to the expectations of their manager.

The way managers treat their subordinates influences their performance. If a negative feedback is passed on to them, their performance may actually falter. Positive Pygmalion effects have a far-reaching effect on the employees. When managers put faith in the abilities of their subordinates, their morale and self-esteem increases, and hence, their performance gets better.

Galatea Effect vs. Pygmalion Effect
Galatea Effect Vs. Pygmalion Effect

Both the effects play an important role in increasing the productivity and personal development of each individual.

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The primary difference between the Pygmalion and the Galatea effects is that the Pygmalion effect is based on the expectations of others while the Galatea effect is rooted in self-expectation.

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In the Pygmalion effect, subordinates work towards meeting the expectations that are set by their superiors, whether or not these expectations are verbally or non-verbally expressed. In the Galatea effect, on the other hand, an individual sets expectations for himself or herself and strives to live up to it. In short, the Galatea effect is more powerful than the Pygmalion effect.

Most preferably, people should be driven by their faith in their abilities (the Galatea effect), but the Pygamlion effect is, in its own way, a useful ally in motivating people to give their best. It may not appeal to everyone, but can be considered while coaching or leading people.

Favoritism at the workplace can have disastrous effects on the office environment. Managers who are often accused of playing favorites at work, need to ensure that even a perception of favoritism is dispelled from the minds of the employees. In this Buzzle article, we will take a look at some tips which will help avoidance of favoritism at the workplace.

Favorites vs. Deserving!
According to a survey conducted by Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, 92% of senior executives said that they had seen favoritism play a role in employee promotions, and 56% said they had made up their mind about whom to promote, prior to holding any deliberations.

Management schools emphasize that it is the manager’s responsibility to treat everyone equally. Commendable theory, but the ground reality is, that managers, like everyone are human. It is human tendency to foster relationships with people with whom we are comfortable. We cannot expect to have the same level of comfort with everyone.

Although protocol doesn’t allow, but if you ask managers privately on condition of anonymity, they will tell you that they trust some employees more, and delegate important responsibilities to them, while with others, they have a difficult working relationship. Reasons can be varied, but in most cases, it is because exceptional performers are valued more. This leads to a perception among average and below average performers, that their managers are more inclined towards certain individuals. While a manager may simply be assigning important tasks to those with a good track record, the rest will feel that he has been impartial towards them. Whether favoritism is deliberate or inadvertent, it creates a negative atmosphere, leading to ambiguity and score-settling amongst employees.

Indicators of Favoritism

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Assigning important tasks and assignments to the same employee/employees over and over again.

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Spending more time with certain employees in meetings, breaks, and after office.

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Overlooking the mistakes of certain employees because you get along well with them, or they have done a favor for you in the past.

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Offering better working schedules and breaks to certain employees, because of a perception that they contribute more to the company.

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Inviting only a handful of employees to your home, or to any other social event.

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Readily accepting the leave requests of certain employees, while denying similar requests of others.

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Promoting/appraising an employee on the basis of rapport that you share with him, rather than on his performance.

One may wonder whether avoiding favoritism may create a situation wherein there is no motivation to perform. After all, employees who put in extra effort, do so partly because they know that their performance will be appreciated by their managers. The dearth of rewarding exceptional employees can lead to a lethargic and laid-back attitude, devoid of the spirit of competitiveness. Management gurus around the world opine that managers should put in an effort to stop playing favorites at work, but at the same time, they should make a conscious effort to reward people on the basis of their performance. In other words, managers should value every employee on the basis of the role that he plays in the organization, while maintaining a professional relationship with everyone. There are several other ways in which managers can avoid playing favorites at work. Let us take a look at them.

Tips on Curbing Favoritism at Work

Transparency:

Use team meetings to clear the air on the reasons you assign certain task to certain employees. Tell your workforce about the factors that you consider before you put somebody’s name up against an assignment. When you openly talk about your decisions, you appear less autocratic than your employees perceive you to be. For example, if you assign the task of client meetings to John frequently, outline the reasons behind your decision, such as his presentation skills, his ability to negotiate, testimonial of clients, etc. This will make things clear for your employees, and reduce the perception of workplace favoritism.

Performance:

Judge your employees on the basis of certain parameters. Although every employee is different from another, everybody is expected to adhere to the basic rules and regulations of the workplace. Keep a log of absenteeism, tardiness, extra-hours worked, output achieved, and frequently share these details with the employees, so that each one of them is aware of where he stands.

Regular Reviews:

The cries of favoritism grow louder when someone is promoted in an organization. To address this issue, review the performance of your employees frequently, and keep them abreast of the areas in which they need to improve. Offer advancement opportunities to those employees who have performed well consistently.

Equal Interaction:

Talk to every employee who works under you. Don’t ignore those employees whose performance hasn’t been up to the mark. Adopting a hostile or passive approach with underachievers will only bolster the perception of favoritism. Take the onus of arranging coaching, training, mentoring, etc., for this set of employees. Keep in mind that at the end of the day, everyone goes through tough times, and with adequate support and encouragement, things can be turned around.

Level Playing Field:

Provide an opportunity to every employee to prove himself. As a manager, it is your duty to have a level playing field for your employees. Create an atmosphere wherein everyone feels that he has a realistic chance of being promoted, or selected for a new assignment.

Confidentiality:

As mentioned before, accusations of favoritism can also be leveled against managers who are not consciously doing it. To ensure that such scenarios don’t happen in your office, create a robust system, wherein employees can report instances of ‘perceived’ favoritism to you. Ensure that employees are able to do this confidentially, as otherwise, not many will dare to honestly express their opinion to you.

No Badmouthing:

Regardless of how disappointed you are with the performance of an employee, never discuss it with other employees. There is a likelihood that the word will go out, and your credibility as a manager will be questioned. Instead, get the HR in the picture, and together chalk out an action plan for the concerned employee. Badmouthing an employee behind his back will only convince your subordinates that you value certain employees more, and even discuss confidential information with them.

Chance to Everyone:

Overestimating the capability of your best employees can have issues of its own. A selected bunch of people may feel that they are more powerful than the rest because they are ‘close’ to you. It can breed a sense of complacency and heirloom among these employees, and they can start to take things for granted. To address this issue, experiment with assigning a task to a weaker employee, and provide constant support and mentoring to him.

Openness:

Talk openly about the issue of favoritism. Tell your employees clearly that you don’t intent to play favorites at work. As this issue is usually discussed in hushed-up tones, bringing it out in the open will send across a message that you are aware of the perception some people may have about you.

Body Language:

They say actions speak louder than words. It is true for our body language as well. When you are interacting with your employees, ensure that you are behaving in a manner which doesn’t send out wrong signals to the rest of your staff. You may nonchalantly pat someone’s back because of a job well done, but employees who are at a distance, will only see it as an act of favoritism. Make friendly gestures with everyone, or do not make them at all.

Neutral Opinion:

If you are in a fix over the issue of favoritism, and don’t know for sure if you might have inadvertently shown signs of doing it in the office, take the advice of a trustworthy individual. There are times when we get so worked up on certain things, that we see things from a different perspective. Select somebody you perceive as ‘neutral’, and encourage him to tell you if you have strayed away from the expected course.

Playing favorites at work might give you an advantage in the short-term, as you will have a group of employees who will go the extra mile for you, but in the long run, it will lead to polarization of the workplace, pitting one group of employees against another. While office politics is a hard pill to swallow for most managers, it needs to be dealt with effectively, because at the end of the day, all employees share a common responsibility of using their skills to contribute to their own and the company’s growth.