The principle of the Self-fulfilling prophecy refers to the idea that an individual or group's positive or negative expectation about a circumstance, event or other person can actually cause the expected outcome to occur. The original concept was developed by Robert K. Merton to explain how a belief or expectation, whether correct or not, can affects the outcome of a situation or the way people will behave. The essence of the self-fulfilling prophecy is that a prediction comes true simply because people believe in it and, in fact, make it happen.

 

A hypothetical example of this notion is the impact of that the thinking of a group of depositors can have on the fortunes of a savings bank. Let's say that a particular depositor states an opinion (not true) that the Midtown Savings Bank is in financial trouble based on hearing some incorrect information. He shares his opinion with some friends who are also depositors at the bank, and alarmed, they all run down to the Bank to withdraw their money. Others in and around the Midtown Savings Bank notice this increased activity and begin asking questions. Upon hearing the bad news, they too decide to withdraw their funds, and very soon the process snowballs to the point where the bank doesn't have enough reserves on hand to satisfy the withdrawal requests of all the depositors. As a result, the Midtown Savings Bank which was totally solvent when it opened that morning becomes insolvent by the end of the day. The self-fulfilling prophecy has struck!

 

People Live Up to Our Expectations

 

In 1968 Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobsen, professors of social psychology at Harvard University, described an experiment in which they told teachers that randomly selected groups of students in their classes were "intellectual bloomers," who should be expected to outperform the other students in their classes. In spite of the fact that there were initially no differences between these students and their peers, when tested one year later, the "intellectual bloomers," experienced greater gains in IQ and reading grades, and were described by teachers as more likely to succeed in the future, as more interesting, as showing greater intellectual curiosity, and as happier.

 

Rosenthal and Jacobson concluded that a self-fulfilling prophecy was at work. They believed that the teachers in their experiment had subtly and unconsciously encouraged and contributed to the performance they expected to see. Not only did they spend more time with these students, they were also more enthusiastic about teaching them and unintentionally showed more warmth and appreciation to them than to the other students. Through the use of certain facial expressions, postures and perhaps, touch, these teacher may have communicated to the children of the experimental group that they expected improved intellectual performance.

 

These results seemed to clearly demonstrate that teachers' expectations can affect student achievement.

 

Implications for Managers: The Pygmalion Effect

 

In the September/October, 1988 Harvard Business Review, author J. Sterling Livingston described the Pygmalion effect in his landmark article Pygmalion in Management. Livingston's article placed strong emphasis on the impact of the self-fulfilling prophecy in supervising people. "The way managers treat their subordinates is subtly influenced by what they expect of them," Livingston said.  He described the rationale for this effect as follows:

• Every supervisor has expectations (positive or negative) of his or her subordinates based on pre-conceived notions about them. Forming such expectations is natural and unavoidable.

• Supervisors convey their expectations of subordinates through their interactions with them directly but also often in subtle, non-conscious ways.

• Subordinates consciously and subconsciously sense and internalize supervisor's expectations of them. Once formed such expectations tend to be self-sustaining.

• People tend to behave and perform in ways that are consistent with the signals they have picked up from their supervisors. They tend to respond to such cues by adjusting their behavior to match them.

When you intentionally or unintentionally show a lack of interest, regard or appreciation toward another person, you convey a low level of value for that person. The other person senses your negative vibrations, and this tends to diminish his or her feeling of self-worth, thereby causing the other person to respond accordingly. The bottom line is that our expectations become our reality.

 

How Managers Communicate Expectations

 

If you think a person is a valuable asset to your team, you will automatically treat that person in a manner that reflects your impressions. If you treat your team member as a valuable player, the team member will act, and even become valuable. Similarly, if you are continually putting someone down, he or she will eventually give up, accept the situation as it is and come to the conclusion that there is little hope of moving forward. The key to using the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy for productive purposes then, is to strive to develop and maintain positive expectations of others.

 

Here are some examples of ways to accomplish this:

• Don't prejudge anyone or demand less of anyone than is required. Don't let past performance automatically predict future results. Remember that people will live up to your expectation of them if you create the right conditions for them.

• Always look for the best in others. Clearly everybody has strengths and weaknesses, but it makes no sense to focus on others' weaknesses if we want people to perform well. Focusing on weakness makes people feel down on themselves and only serves to create roadblocks to productivity. Finding and emphasizing people's strengths makes them feel valued and important, and motivates them to do their best.

• Pay equal attention to people in group situations. Facilitate equivalent levels of participation and involvement. Leaving individuals out of a discussion or giving little weight to their ideas can cause them to develop a feeling of low self-worth, which can decrease their desire to contribute.

• Provide uniform amounts and appropriate levels of accurate feedback to each subordinate. Giving less feedback to top performers than lower level performers can convey that you don't really appreciate the great job the top performer is doing. Similarly, providing less feedback to a weaker performer can suggest that you don't really care about helping him or her to get better.

Pay special attention to the non-verbal (usually subliminal) signals you project to subordinates. Strive not to telegraph your expectations unintentionally through your gestures, posture, facial expressions or eye-contact. You will probably never be able to eliminate all negative expectations from your thinking, but you should always try your best to conceal your negative expectations of others from them.

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The term professional is usually used to describe a person who is engaged in an activity that is associated with accepted guidelines and parameters of conduct and performance. Traditional examples of professionals include physicians, lawyers, engineers and accountants, but the term is used more widely today to also apply to real estate agents, surveyors, scientists, educators, paid athletes and many other occupations.

 

There are two basic aspects to professionalism. The first relates to a person's level of expertise (what he or she does) and the second pertains to a person's behavior and attitude (how he or she does it).

 

Expertise

 

With regard to expertise, a professional is one who demonstrates a proficiency level that conforms to the technical and ethical standards established for a particular line of work. He or she is a person who demonstrates impressive competence in a particular field and is paid to execute a specialized set of tasks with uncommon skill. Because of the personal and confidential nature of many professional services and, thus, the necessity to place a great deal of trust in them, most professionals are subject to strict codes of conduct demanding rigorous ethical and moral obligations.

 

The capabilities of many professionals (e.g., doctors, lawyers, professors, nurses, pilots) are usually certified through some formal process of accreditation or licensing. However, many other professionals such as those engaged in sports, sales and marketing, business management and the arts, usually are not. Their classification as professionals rest entirely upon the levels of knowledge and skills they exhibit.

 

A good way to develop an appreciation for the concept of professionalism is to contrast it with the definition of an amateur. An amateur is a person who engages in a activity as a pastime rather than as a full-time occupation. An amateur usually doesn't possess the level of knowledge, skill, drive and ability to achieve results that someone who is considered a professional does. Consequently, the term amateur is often associated with a person lacking the capabilities of a professional and can connote a negative or uncomplimentary impression.

 

Behavior

 

In terms of behavior, professionalism has to do with people's personal interaction skills which include such dimensions as courtesy and respect, listening skills, character, work ethic, accepting personal responsibility and appearance.

 

Unlike the factors relating to professional expertise which tend to become more and more demanding as the nature of business becomes continually more complex and challenging, professional behaviors are highly influenced by changes in social and business culture, and tend, therefore, to be much more fluid and variable.

 

A recent study from the York College of Pennsylvania's Center for Professional Excellence surveyed more than 500 human resource professionals and business leaders to assess what they thought "professionalism" meant and how well they felt recent college graduates exhibited it. The results of the survey suggest that colleges need to change how they prepare their students for the working world, particularly by reinforcing attributes such as workplace etiquette and  positive demeanor.

 

The survey results indicated that "there is a widely held sentiment that not all college graduates are displaying professionalism upon entering the work force." More than 37 percent of the respondents reported that "less than half of the recent graduates they have hired exhibited professionalism in their first year." The average employer indicated that slightly more than 51 percent of his or her recent hires exhibit "professionalism." Significantly, about 88 percent of the respondents "think of professionalism as being related to a person rather than the position."

 

Developing more Professional Behavior

• Continually Develop your Expertise
  
  

  The very word "professional" implies that you are an expert. Become an expert in the skills and tools necessary to do your job. Always perform to the best of your abilities and keep your knowledge up-to-date.

• Focus on Delivering Customer Satisfaction
  
  

  Understanding and satisfying your customer's needs are the cornerstones of a successful organization. Always do your utmost to do what is necessary to meet those needs. Without customers to serve, there is no profession.

• Communicate Effectively
  
  

  Whether verbal or written, professionals communicate clearly, concisely, thoroughly, and accurately. Resist the urge to blame the customer when communication goes awry. Effective communication is ultimately your responsibility, not your customer's. Keep a smile on your face and the right attitude in your heart. Be continually conscious of how your attitude affects those with whom you interact. Professionals are pleasant even during trying times. "Sharing the misery" is not the mark of a professional.

• Adhere to High Values and Principles
  
  

  Establish and follow high guiding principles. Appreciate and support those you work with. Practice good manners and proper etiquette. Demonstrate high ethical and moral standards. Be honest and fair in all of your dealings with others. Obey the law. These may sound like the attributes of a Boy Scout, but they are basic values that all professionals should follow. If your organization does not have stated core values, develop your own.

• Meet or Exceed Expectations
  
  

  Don't be bound by a time clock. Manage your time and work habits effectively. Professionals are often expected to exceed the standard 40-hour workweek. There are times when you may be asked to work weekends. Professionals are expected to produce results. Strive to complete deliverables before their due dates and under budget. Do what you say and say what you can do. Professionals deliver on promises made.

Professionalism is an Attitude

 

Professionalism is an attitude, and it requires seeing your work as more than just the source of a paycheck. The greater the degree to which people demonstrate professionalism, the easier it will be for them to set themselves apart from people around them. Professionalism can (and should) be applied in every business setting in all organizations. The more a person or organization displays professionalism, the more opportunities for success there will be.

 

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People often associate the topic of persuasion primarily with the concept of selling, but the importance of effective persuasion skills really pertains to every one of us regardless of our individual vocation. Every day each of us is involved to some degree in influencing the thoughts and actions of others. In fact, the path to success in life lies to a very large extent in gaining the cooperation of others. In this edition of Insights, we continue with our ongoing segment dedicated to the topic of persuasion.

 

The Power of Mirroring

 

Mirroring is a rapport-building technique in which one person adopts the physical and verbal behaviors of another. It simply involves acting, moving and positioning yourself as another does. It is often also called synchronizing or matching. As we have discussed previously in this section, having rapport with another greatly facilitates the persuasion process. If others like and feel comfortable interacting with us, we have a much greater likelihood of influencing them. Mirroring, therefore, can be a very effective persuasion skill.

 

Being in a state of rapport is something that occurs quite naturally on a regular basis during our communication with others, often without any conscious effort on our part. It tends to happen automatically between people who know each other well. Good friends will often use the same words or phrases and adopt the same gestures, particularly when they're together. However, if we consciously focus on the effective use of mirroring techniques in our interpersonal communication, instead of leaving it up to chance, we can actively and rapidly create stronger rapport, thereby leading to increased persuasiveness.

 

The subliminal persuasion technique of mirroring is easy to understand. It is simply a way to make a person feel more comfortable and trusting of you. We all feel more comfortable with some people than others, and there are reasons for this that have nothing to do with the character of the people and everything to do with the specific ways in which they interact.

 

Mirroring means getting into rhythm with another person on as many levels as possible. You can mirror a prospect's tone of voice, rate of speech, posture, hand gestures, and word choice. When done well, you can use this mirroring to establish rapport quickly and easily with most people. Most people will never notice that you're doing this, but of course, don't be too obvious. Be careful not to appear as though you are mimicking the other person, but mirror them as much as you can. When you become good at it, the person will just feel that you're a lot like they are, that you can relate to them, and that they can relate to and trust you. A bond will begin to develop between you.

 

The following are some of the key ways to mirror the communication behaviors of others:

 

Body Movements

 

The key is to position your body in a way that is similar to that of the person you are trying to persuade. Sit in the same position, laugh when he or she laughs, and use gestures in the same frequency and with similar intensity as the person you are trying to persuade. This doesn't mean you should literally totally mirror the other person, matching move for move, position for position or posture for posture, which can irritate and offend. It simply means approximating the other person's position. For example, if the other person is sitting with legs crossed, you can cross your arms while keeping your feet flat on the floor. In other words, be subtle.

 

Facial Expressions

 

We humans have 53 facial muscles which we can use to express an extensive array of facial expressions. Obvious areas of the face to consider are the brow (is it wrinkled or smooth, raised or lowered?), the mouth (including lips, teeth and tongue), the bridge of the nose (wrinkled or smooth?), the eyes, the cheeks and cheek bones, and the jaw. If you can observe it you should be able to match/mirror it.

 

Language

 

One of the best ways to build rapport through mirroring is to use a vocabulary similar to that of the person whom you are trying to persuade. If possible, try to incorporate elements of your audience's jargon in your conversation. However, avoid mirroring other people's accents or copying unusual phrases because they are likely to notice and may be offended.

 

Voice

 

This is probably the most effective element of mirroring. Since almost half of our communication message is delivered through voice tone, volume, pace and inflection, mirroring this aspect of communication behavior can be very effective. If someone has a soft tone to his or her voice, adopt a softer tone to yours; if someone speaks rather quickly, pick up the pace of your own voice, etc.

 

Breathing

 

Matching the breathing patterns of others is an excellent way to establish rapport. This doesn't mean that to establish a connection your breathing needs to be in complete synch with that of your conversation partner, but rather that you should try to mirror his or her breathing pattern as closely as you can.

 

LEADING: The Payoff

 

Once you are familiar with the different aspects of mirroring, you can begin leading others. What is meant by leading in this context is generating specific communication behaviors (voice, body movements, facial expressions, breathing, etc.) for getting your listeners to mirror you. This is the process whereby we verify the establishment of rapport. When you realize that another is in rapport with you, it is an indication that that person trusts you and is demonstrating readiness and receptivity for accepting your ideas.

 

Mirroring skills are really little more than a way to connect with our greatest resource: other people. As we are instinctively drawn toward one another, be it to get cooperation, emotional feedback or to have our physical needs met, mirroring speeds up our personal gratification process.

 

Ask us a question about persuasiveness.