Psychoanalysis of the effect of an underrated specialist. Part 1. Who and why

    1. Introduction


    Injustice is innumerable: correcting one, you risk committing another.
    Romain Rolland
    Working as a programmer since the early 90s, I have repeatedly had to deal with problems of underestimation. For example, I’m so young, smart, positive on all sides, for some reason I’m not moving up the career ladder. Well, it’s not that I don’t move at all, but I’m somehow moving not in the way I deserve. Or my work is not appreciated with enthusiasm, not noticing the beauty of the decisions and the gigantic contribution that I, namely I, make to the common cause. Compared to others, I clearly miss the buns and privileges. That is, I climb up the ladder of professional knowledge quickly and efficiently, but on the job scale, they stubbornly underestimate and pinch my growth. Are they all blind and indifferent, or is this a conspiracy?

    While you read and no one hears, admit honestly, you have encountered similar problems!

    Having lived to the age of “Argentina - Jamaica”, having gone from a developer to a system analyst, a project manager and to a director and co-owner of an IT company, I often observed a similar picture, but from the other side. Many scenarios of the behavior of an underestimated employee and an underestimated manager became clear and became obvious. Many questions that complicated my life and prevented self-realization for a long time finally got answers.

    This article can be useful both to the underestimated employees themselves and their managers.

    2. Analysis of the causes of underestimation


    Our lives are determined by opportunities. Even those that we miss ...
    (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).
    As a systems analyst, I will try to analyze this problem, systematize the causes of its occurrence and suggest solutions.

    Reading the book by D. Kahneman “Think slowly ... Decide quickly” [1] prompted me to think about this subject. Why is Psychoanalysis mentioned in the title of the article? Yes, because this branch of psychology is often called non-scientific, while constantly remembering it, as a non-binding philosophy. Consequently, the demand from me for quackery will be minimal. So “Psychoanalysis is a theory that helps to reflect how unconscious confrontation affects the self-esteem of the individual and the emotional side of the personality, on its interaction with the rest of the environment and other social institutions” [2]. Therefore, we will try to analyze the motives and factors that affect the behavior of a specialist, and are “highly likely” imposed by his past life experience.

    In order not to be fooled by illusions, let's clarify the key point. In our age of decision-making speeds, the assessment of the employee and the applicant is often given once or twice, based on its presentability. That image, which is formed on the basis of the impression made, as well as the messages that a person involuntarily (or intentionally), transmits to the "appraiser". After all, this is a little, individual, that remains after template resumes, piece-like questionnaires and stereotypical methods for assessing answers.

    As expected, we begin our review with problems. We define factors that can negatively affect the performance mentioned above. Let us go from problems tickling the nerves to novice specialists, to the problems of pulling veins to seasoned professionals.

    A representative sample from me includes:

    1. Inability to articulate your thoughts


    The ability to express one’s thoughts is no less important than these thoughts themselves,
    because most people have a rumor that needs to be sweetened,
    and only a few have a mind that can judge what was said.
    Philip D.S. Chesterfield
    Somehow during the interview, a young man who appreciated his potential very highly, nevertheless not able to answer any standard question properly and made a very faded impression in the thematic discussion, was very indignant at the refusal. Based on my experience and intuition, I decided that he was not well-versed in the subject. I was interested to know his impressions in this situation. It turned out that he felt like a man who is perfectly savvy in this material, everything is clear and understandable to him, but at the same time, he simply cannot express his thoughts, formulate answers, convey his point of view, etc. I can well admit such an option. Perhaps my intuition failed me, and he is really very talented. But: firstly, how can I get confirmation of this? And most importantly, how he will communicate with colleagues,

    A kind of intelligent system, completely devoid of an interface for transmitting signals to the outside world. Who is she interested in?

    According to experts, this behavior can be caused by such an innocent diagnosis as Sociophobia. “Sociophobia (social phobia) is an irrational fear of getting into various situations associated with social interaction, or being in them. We are talking about situations that are in one way or another connected with contacts with other people: public speaking, fulfilling one’s professional duties, even simply finding people in society. ” [3]

    For the convenience of further analysis, we put labels on the psychotypes we are analyzing. We will call the first considered type - “#Informal”, emphasizing once again that we cannot precisely identify its name - “# Dunno,” as well as refute this.

    2. Bias in assessing the level of their professionalism


    It all depends on the environment.
    The sun in the sky does not have such a high opinion of itself as a candle lit in a cellar.
    Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach
    It can be said absolutely objectively that any assessment of a specialist’s professional capabilities is subjective. But there is always the opportunity to establish certain levels of employee qualifications for various key indicators that affect work efficiency. For example, skills, abilities, life principles, physical and mental state, etc.

    The main problem of a specialist’s self-esteem, more often than not, is a lack of understanding (a very strong understatement) of the amount required for assessing knowledge, level of skills and abilities.

    At the beginning of the 2000s, I was impressed by the interview of one young man for the post of Delphi programmer, during which the applicant said that he still just knows the language and development environment well, since he has been studying them for more than a month, but for the sake of objectivity, he still needs another two weeks - three to thoroughly comprehend all the wisdom of the instrument. This is not a joke, that is how it was.

    Probably, everyone had their first program, which displayed some kind of “Helou” on the screen. Most often, this event is perceived as a pass to the world of programmers, raising self-esteem to the skies. And there, like thunder, the first real task appears, returning back to mortal earth.

    This problem is endless, like eternity. Most often, it simply transforms with life experience, each time moving to a higher level of misunderstanding. The first delivery of the project to the customer, the first distributed system, the first integration, as well as high architecture, strategic management, etc.

    This problem can be measured by such a metric as - “Level of claims”. The level that a person seeks to achieve in various areas of life (career, status, welfare, etc.).

    Simplified indicator can be calculated as follows: Level of claims = Value of success - Value of failure . Moreover, this coefficient can even be empty - null .

    From the point of view of cognitive distortion [4] here on the face:

    • The “overconfidence effect” is a tendency to overestimate one’s own abilities.
    • “Selective perception” - taking into account only those facts that are consistent with expectations.

    We will call this type - "# Munchausen." As if the character is generally positive, but a little bit, it’s exaggerating just a little.

    3. Unwillingness to invest in their development for the future


    Do not look for a needle in a haystack. Just buy the whole haystack!
    John (Jack) Bogle
    Another characteristic case leading to the effect of inappreciation is the reluctance of a specialist to delve into something new on his own, to study something promising, arguing something like this: “Why waste too much time? A task that requires a new competency will fall to me, and I will master it. ”

    But often, a task requiring new competence will fall to the one who works in anticipation. Anyone who has already tried to plunge into it while discussing a new problem will be able to most clearly and fully describe the options for solving it.

    This situation can be illustrated by such an allegory. You came to the doctor to have a surgery, and he seems to you: “In general, I have never been involved in surgery, but I'm a professional, now I’ll quickly go through the Atlas of Human Anatomy and cut everything to you in the best possible way. Be calm. "

    For this case, the following Cognitive distortions are viewed [4]:

    • “Deviation to the side of the result” is a tendency to judge decisions by their final results, instead of evaluating the quality of decisions based on the circumstances of the time when they were made (“winners are not judged”).
    • “Deviation towards the status quo” is the tendency of people to want things to remain roughly the same.

    For this trait we will use a relatively fresh label - “# Wait”.

    4. Unawareness of their weaknesses and not a manifestation of strengths


    Injustice is not always associated with any action;
    often it consists in inaction.
    (Marcus Aurelius)
    Another important issue in my opinion, both for self-esteem and for assessing a specialist’s level, is an attempt to form an opinion about professional opportunities as a single and indivisible whole. Good, average, bad, etc. But it also happens that a kind of very mediocre developer starts to perform some kind of new function for himself, for example, to control and motivate a team, and the team’s productivity is going uphill. And it happens, and vice versa - a great developer, clever, who is in very good standing, cannot elementarily organize his colleagues into the most ordinary feat in a rush. And the project flies downhill, dragging behind him his faith in himself. Morally, the psychological state is flattened and smeared, with all the ensuing consequences.

    At the same time, management, due to its limitations, possibly related to employment, lack of insight or disbelief in miracles, is inclined to see in its employees only the visible part of the iceberg, namely, the result they produce. And as a result of the lack of result, following a drop in self-esteem, leadership evaluations fly to tartars, discomfort arises in the team and "as before, they will have nothing ...".

    The set of parameters itself, for evaluating a specialist in different areas, is most likely more or less universal. But the weight of each specific indicator for various specializations and functions is largely different. And how brightly you show and demonstrate your strengths in business depends on how positively you can be noted from the outside - your contribution to the team. After all, you are not evaluated for strengths as such, but for how you effectively apply them. If you don’t show them at all, how will your colleagues find out about them? Not every organization has the opportunity to delve into the depths of your inner world and expose your talents.

    Here cognitive distortions appear [4], such as:

    • The “craze effect, conformism” is the fear of standing out from the crowd, the tendency to do (or believe in) things, because many other people do this (or believe in it). Refers to group thinking, herd behavior and mania.
    • “Regulation” is the trap of continuous orders for oneself to do something, instead of sometimes acting impulsively, spontaneously, when it is more acceptable.

    In my opinion, this character, as well as possible, is suitable label - "# Private".

    5. Adjusting your obligations to your alternative assessment of contribution


    Injustice is relatively easy to bear;
    what really hurts us is justice.
    Henry Louis Mencken
    In my practice, there have also been cases where, when an employee tried to independently determine his or her value in the team, or on the local labor market, they came to the conclusion that he was not paid much in comparison with other colleagues. Here they are, exactly the same, doing exactly the same job, and they have a higher salary and more respect for them. There is a disturbing feeling of injustice. Often, such conclusions are associated with the self-esteem errors listed above, in which the perception of one's place in the global IT industry is objectively distorted and not underestimated.

    The next step, such an employee, in order to somehow restore justice on Earth, tries to do a little less work. Well, about as much as they do not pay extra. He defiantly refuses refining, comes into conflict with other team members who are so undeservedly exalted and, in all likelihood, because of this they behave arrogantly and pompously.

    No matter how “offended” the situation is: the restoration of justice, rewarding merit, etc., from the outside — this is perceived exclusively as confrontation and demarche.

    It is only logical that, following a decrease in its productivity and efficiency, its salary may decrease. And the saddest thing in this situation is that the unfortunate employee associates the deterioration of his situation not with his actions (or rather, inaction and opposition), but with further discrimination of his own person by a stubborn leadership. The complex of resentment grows and deepens.

    If a person is not stupid, then at the second, third repetition of a similar situation in different teams, he begins to squint to cast a glance at himself beloved, and he has vague doubts about his exclusivity. Otherwise, such people become eternally wandering wanderers of companies and teams swearing all around.

    Characteristic cognitive biases [4] for this case:

    • “The effect of the observer's expectation” - unconsciously manipulating the course of experience to detect the expected result (also the Rosenthal effect);
    • “Mistake in the spirit of a well-aimed shooter from Texas” - selection or adjustment of a hypothesis for measurement results;
    • “Confirmation bias” - the tendency to seek or interpret information in such a way as to confirm the concepts previously available;

    Separately, we highlight:

    • “Resistance” is a person’s need to do the opposite of what someone encourages him to do, because of the need to resist the apparent attempts to limit freedom of choice.
    • “Resistance” - a manifestation of mental inertia, disbelief in the threat, the continuation of the previous course of action in the face of an urgent need to switch: when the postponement of the transition is fraught with deterioration; when procrastination can lead to a loss of opportunity to improve the situation; in a collision with emergency situations, unexpected capabilities and sudden interference.

    We call this type - "# Wanderer."

    6. A formal approach to business


    Formalism as a personality trait is a tendency, contrary to common sense,
    to give excess importance to the external side of the matter, to fulfill one’s duties without putting one’s heart into them.
    Often in a team you can come across an individual who is very demanding on everyone around him, except himself. He can be extremely annoyed, for example, by non-punctual people, about whom he endlessly grumbles, being late for work for 20-30 minutes. Or a disgusting service that daily immerses him in a sea of ​​indifference and soullessness of stupid performers who do not even try to guess his desires and provide for evonious needs. When you jointly start to delve into the causes of frustration, then you come to the conclusion that most often it is connected with a formal approach to problems, with a refusal to take responsibility and an unwillingness to deal with supposedly not your own business.

    But if you do not stop there and move on, scrolling already on his (employee's) working day, then, oh my God, in his behavior all the same signs are found that just had been so enraged in others. At first, anxiety arises in my eyes, some analogies run through the chill, and the hunch is that he is just as formalist. At the same time, for some reason, all of them owe everything to him, but he simply has principles: from now on it is my job, and further excuse me is not my responsibility and nothing personal.

    To sketch a typical portrait of such behavior, we can cite the following plot. An employee, having read the task text in the tracker and seeing in it that the problem is sanctified somehow is not sufficiently detailed and informative and does not allow him, without straining to solve it immediately, simply writes in the comment: “There is not enough information to solve”. Then with a calm soul and a sense of accomplishment, immersed in the news feed.

    In dynamic and low-budget projects, it so happens that in the absence of full-scale bureaucratic descriptions, work efficiency is not lost, due to the constant tight intra-team communication. And most importantly, due to indifference, indifference, non-indifference and other "no." The team player does not divide responsibility into his own and someone else's, but in every possible way tries to push the stuck problem to the surface. It is such people who are most valuable and, accordingly, most often have a higher price tag.

    From the point of view of cognitive distortion [4] in this case it is manifested:

    • “Framing effect” - the presence of a dependence of the choice of a solution option on the presentation form of the source information. So, a change in the type of question wording, with semantically identical content, can cause a change in the percentage of positive (negative) answers from 20% to 80% or more.
    • “Blind spot in relation to distortions” is an easier way to detect flaws in other people than in oneself (in a stranger's eye he sees a mote, he does not notice a log in his own eye).
    • “The effect of moral trust” - a person who believes that he does not have prejudices, has great chances to show prejudices. He perceives himself sinless, he has the illusion that any of his actions will also be sinless.

    For this type we’ll label - “#Official”. Oh, and it will do.

    7. Indecision in decision making


    A fearful and dreamy indecision creeps after laziness and entails impotence and poverty ...
    William Shakespeare
    Sometimes a good specialist is listed in the team as an outsider. If you look at the results of his work against the background of other employees, his achievements look above average. But, his opinions do not hear. It is impossible to recall the last time he insisted on his point of view. Most likely, his point of view went to a piggy bank to some kind of throat.

    Since he is not initiative, then he also gets second-rate works, on which it is difficult to prove himself. It turns out some kind of vicious circle.

    His constant doubts and fears prevent him from adequately assessing his own actions and presenting them in proportion to his contribution.

    In addition to just phobias, from the point of view of cognitive distortions [4] in this type you can see:

    • “Reverse” - a systematic return to thoughts about hypothetical actions in the past to prevent losses resulting from irreversible events that have occurred, to correct the unrecoverable, to change the irreversible past. Forms of reversion are guilt and shame
    • “Pulling (procrastination)” - systematic unjustified procrastination, delaying the start of inevitable work.
    • “Underestimation of inaction" is the preference for more harm due to inaction than harm due to action, due to non-recognition of guilt in inaction.
    • "Submission to authority" - the tendency of people to obey authority, ignoring their own judgments about the appropriateness of action.

    These harmless people are most often impressed and do not cause irritation. Therefore, for them we introduce an affectionate label - "# Avoska" (from the word Avos). Yes, they are also not representative, but extremely reliable.

    8. Reassessment (exaggeration) of the role of previous experience


    Experience increases our wisdom, but does not reduce our stupidity.
    G. Shaw
    Sometimes a positive experience can play a trick. Such a phenomenon manifests itself, for example, at the moment when the successful use of the “light” methodology is being tried to be mirrored in a larger project.

    Specialist, as it were already several times passed the path of production of something. A thorny path that required for the first time maximum stress, analysis, consultation and the development of certain solutions. Each subsequent similar project went easier and more efficiently, gliding along the rut. There is complacency. The body relaxes, the eyelids become heavy, pleasant warmth runs hand in hand, a sweet slumber envelops you, peace and tranquility fill you ...

    And here is the new project. And oh hoo, it’s more ambitious and complex. I would like more to fight. Well, what's the point again to waste time on its detailed study, if everything is already so well rolling down the beaten furrow.

    Unfortunately, in such a situation, most specialists, sometimes very intelligent and assiduous, do not even think that their past experience in the new conditions does not work at all. Rather, it can work on individual parts of the project, but also with nuances.

    This insight usually comes at a time when all the terms have gone through, there is no mention of the required product, and the client, to put it mildly, begins to worry. In turn, this excitement pretty much shakes the project management, forcing to invent all sorts of excuses and make the brain to the performers. Oil painting.

    But the most offensive is that upon subsequent repetition of a similar situation, the same picture is reproduced and all the same oil. That is, on the one hand, positive experience remained the benchmark, and on the other, negative, only a monstrous coincidence, which should be forgotten as soon as a nightmare.

    This situation is a manifestation of the following cognitive distortions [4]:

    • “Generalization of particular cases” is the groundless transfer of the characteristics of particular or even single cases to their vast aggregates.
    • “Focusing effect” - a mistake in predictions that occurs when people pay too much attention to any one aspect of the phenomenon; causes errors in correctly predicting the usefulness of a future outcome.
    • “The illusion of control” is the tendency of people to believe that they can control or at least influence the results of events that they really cannot influence.

    Label - "#Snow-Swam", in my opinion will do.

    Usually # Know-Swam become the former # Munchausen. Well, here the phrase itself begs: "# Munchausens are never former."

    9. Unavailability of an accomplished professional to start all over again


    It would not hurt us all to start all over again - preferably from a kindergarten.
    Kurt Vonnegut (Cradle for the cat)
    It’s also interesting to observe the already established specialists, whom life pushed to the sidelines of the IT industry and forced to look for a new job. Shaking off the husks of disappointment and insecurity, they pass the first interview with a bang. Their resumes enthusiastically show each other impressed HR_shchiki, they say here it is, how to write. Everything is on the rise, waiting for at least the creation of some miracle, and in the very near future.

    But everyday work flowed, day after day passes, but magic does not happen.
    This is a look on the one hand. And on the other hand, an established specialist, at the subconscious level, has already developed his own habits and ideas of how everything around should revolve. And it’s not a fact that it coincides with the foundations of the new firm. And should it coincide? Often discussing, proving something with ears clogged with copper pipes, a specialist tired of fire and water, no longer has the strength or desire. I don’t want to change habits either, and somehow it’s not solid, but still not a boy.

    All together fall into a zone of turbulence and discomfort, unfulfilled hopes and unfulfilled expectations.

    For experienced people, a bunch of cognitive distortions [4] will certainly be richer:

    • “Distortion in the perception of the choice made” - excessive perseverance, attachment to one’s choices, perceiving them as more correct than they actually are, with their further justification.
    • “The effect of acquaintance with an object” is the tendency of people to express unjustified sympathy for a certain object only because they are familiar with it.
    • Irrational escalation is a tendency to remember one’s choices as more correct than they actually were.
    • “Curse of knowledge” - difficulties for informed people when trying to consider a problem from the point of view of less informed people.

    And finally - the crown of creativity:

    • “Professional deformation” - psychological disorientation of a person in the course of professional activity. The tendency to look at things according to the rules generally accepted for their profession, rejecting a more general point of view.

    With a label for this type and there is nothing to come up with, it has long been known - "#Okello". The one that missed. Well yes, yes, helped him miss. But he is a moral reference point, somehow had not to plunge into a similar story.

    10. Attempting to compete with managers without training


    We are not utopians. We know that any laborer and any cook are not capable of immediately taking control of the state.
    IN AND. Lenin

    The section was created after the publication of the article, so to speak, following its comments. Many young and ambitious specialists sincerely believe that they are assigned an awkward and poorly informed manager who is mainly engaged in two types of activities: 1) the main one is to interfere in every way with his subordinates, who create an IT product with their own hands, 2) the additional one is to keep the height to which they climbed up completely by accident and undeservedly, rudely and harshly suppressing all attempts to even look at their place to more worthy people.

    In most cases, this opinion is manifested when the management is really frankly weak in the implementation of their managerial qualities, for one reason or another. We will not consider these reasons yet. After all, we are not talking about this now, but about distortions in the presentation of a similar situation by a specialist, which prevent him from moving up the career ladder.

    Therefore, it is important to focus on another. The majority of those who argue in this way categorically believe that they would certainly be able to organize everything differently, right now without leaving their place. Moreover, most of this majority have neither management skills nor appropriate education. It is assumed that if I’m better than a manager who understands the creation of a certain IT product (or semi-finished product), then I can definitely manage its production process more efficiently. Don’t ask the manager about the product, it’s all at the top, from the words of others, offhand and sometimes ridiculously.

    It is very important to realize that the work on the production of something and the organization of the production of this something are two completely different functions that require different skills and competencies, different personal characteristics, psychological and ethical preparedness, etc. for their effective implementation.

    In this case, such an interesting distortion is seen as:
    • “Fundamental attribution error” - Also known as “transference distortion” The tendency of people to explain the behavior of other people by their personal qualities, underestimating situational factors, and at the same time overestimating the role and strength of situational influences on their own behavior, underestimating the personal aspect.

    Let’s call representatives of this type “#Kaby I Was Queen”

    For example, despite the fact that for most of my career I combined the work of a developer with managerial activities, I tensed up and received an additional MBA education, which allowed me to put everything in its place in my ideas according to the This section of the topic also helped to rise in a career to a new stage.

    11. Section Summary


    There are walls through which you can climb, dig under them, go around or even blow up. But if the wall exists in your mind, it will be immeasurably more reliable than any of the highest fences.
    Chiun, Royal Master of Sinanju
    To summarize the above.

    Often, the specialist’s idea of ​​his place, role and significance in a team or project is significantly distorted. It is more correct to say this: what he sees, and what most of the people around him see, diverges greatly in assessment. He has outgrown the roofing felts, the roofing felts have not grown up, the roofing felts have their priorities of evaluation from different lives, but one thing is clear - there is a discord in cooperation.

    For young specialists, most of these problems are associated with a lack of understanding of the criteria for their assessment, as well as a distortion of the idea of ​​the volume and quality of the requirements for their knowledge, skills and abilities.

    Mature experts often build fences in their minds from the ideas of how everything should be arranged and stop the manifestations of any dissent, even more preferred and progressive.

    Having determined the motives that cause negative behavioral patterns that hinder career growth, we will try to find scenarios that allow us to level their influence. If possible, without medication.

    The continuation of the article can be read by clicking on the "link" .

    About author training on the topic: "Social Engineering" can be found on the website of the company IC Tavrida LLC

    List of references
    [1] D. Kahneman., Think slowly ... decide quickly, ACT, 2013.
    [2] Z. Freud, Introduction to Psychoanalysis, Sankt Petersburg: Aleteia St. Petersburg, 1999.
    [3] “Sociophobia,” Wikipedia, [On the Internet] . Available: ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociophobia .
    [4] “List of Cognitive Distortion,” Wikipedia, [On the Internet]. Available: ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive Distortion List .

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