When all else fails, ask human resources to facilitate mediation. Early guidance is not threatening to subordinates, because it is not triggered by performance shortcomings; it is systematic and meant to help set the conditions for future success. If you dont get more feedback, youve been set-up-to-fail, not to succeed. Following the often-heard aphorism Better to keep quiet and look like a fool than to open your mouth and prove it, they avoid asking for help for fear of further exposing their limitations. Unaware of Jeffs motives, Steve balked. The net result is that the boss and the subordinate feel free to communicate frequently and to ask one another questions about their respective behaviors before problems mushroom or ossify. This article will help youdecide if you're being set up to fail,andif your company's dysfunction is to blame. For example, in the case of Steve and Jeff, Jeff could have made explicit very early on that he wanted Steve to set up a system that would analyze the root causes of quality control rejections systematically. Those excusesare they really without merit? It can be unwound. In the first few weeks of the relationship, Jeff periodically asked Steve to write up short analyses of significant quality-control rejections. You're trying to calm them down about an order gone haywire, but in the midst of your efforts all you can hear is the person in the next cube. In the corridors or over lunch, they seek out sympathetic ears to vent their recriminations and complaints, not only wasting their own time but also pulling their colleagues away from productive work. It is self-reinforcing because the bosss low expectations, in being fulfilled by his subordinates, trigger more of the same behavior on his part, which in turn triggers more of the same behavior on the part of subordinates. Erica: I feel like you're setting me up to fail. Morale at your office is low. If I mentioned I was going to arrive at the office at 9 AM, he'd come at 8:59 AM to show that he was more dedicated. Dealing with arrogant people takes a lot of patience and a great deal of self-control. I think I figured away to make myself better and not suffer anymore, You'renot sure what you should be doing, or for whom, You often find yourself stifling unprofessional reactions, You can't be yourself, or oftenhave to "fake"apositive attitude, You feel powerless: You have no control over your environment, You want to make things better, but can't, Youre afraid to talk to anyone about whats happening, Rudely barking commands, and general rudeness (refusing to say please or thank-you, interrupting you when you speak), Mocking and belittling, or relentless teasing (even after being asked to stop), "Raging" (taking out foul moods on people, even when they are not the source of the foul mood) and "storming" (rushing around the office, slamming doors, throwing papers, yelling loudly on the phone, even behind closed doors), Gossiping, perhaps even taking information learned in confidence, and sharing it (or exaggerated versions of it) with other employees, Openly inviting some people to lunch or after-hours events, while making a point of routinely excluding others, Going over someone's head about a problem, without first talking to the person affected by, or involved in creating the problem, Taking disciplinary action without warning or review, Intentionally excluding stakeholders from email or other communication when doing so will leave them unprepared, or without the information they need to do their jobs, Assigning projects with lots of responsibility, but no authority to make decisions, and limiting, or withholding access to those who have it, Enforcing policies and procedures differently, even among employees at the same level on the org. 480 comments 96% Upvoted See also: set, up. You still dont have the authority to fire her yourself, and theres no policy or procedure in the office to guide you through taking disciplinary action either. In time, because of low expectations, they come to doubt their own thinking and ability, and they lose the motivation to make autonomous decisions or to take any action at all. I exert more control over my underperformers, but I make sure that it does not come across as a lack of trust or confidence in their ability. We believe what these executives tell us. Such an intervention demands an open exchange between the boss and the subordinate based on the evidence of poor performance, its underlying causes, and their joint responsibilitiesculminating in a joint decision on how to work toward eliminating the syndrome itself. You get demoted. I need to know why. Outside of prompt email responses, being reliable overall will go a long way. (See the insert About the Research.) How? "Do not let anger be a cue for you to do something. But when it is, it results in a range of outcomes that are uniformly better than the alternativethat is, continued underperformance and tension. Your task was to gather information from people who don't report to you. The set-up-to-fail syndrome is not restricted to incompetent bosses. And fewif anyemployees desire to do poorly on the job. K__eep it among your inner circle.__ Don't offer to set up people you barely know. Our research suggests that interventions of this type do not take place very often. When we talk to their subordinates, however, we find that these efforts are for the most part futile. The subordinate, after all, isnt contributing his ideas or energy to the organization. Good managers set people up to succeed. A case in point is the story of Steve, a manufacturing supervisor for a Fortune 100 company. Rather than thank you for demonstrating loyalty and a can-do attitude (after all, you could have just quietly looked for another job, and quit), your boss gets defensive. Interviewers use behavioral questions like " Tell me about a time you failed " to find out more about how a potential employee reacts to a negative situation. He started to supervise Steves every moveto Steves predictable dismay. In fact, its oftenpart of their job descriptions. in order to be sharp for a daytime interview. The set-up-to-fail syndrome can be unwound. Keep Your Focus Clear: While working in a competitive atmosphere, it'll be hard for you not to indulge in that competition. The process is self-fulfilling because the bosss actions contribute to the very behavior that is expected from weak performers. This article is based on two studies designed to understand better the causal relationship between leadership style and subordinate performancein other words, to explore how bosses and subordinates mutually influence each others behavior. When you find out your colleague is making more with essentially the same job: Start doing your research. Things are a bit more complex when repairing organizational dysfunction, since modifying behavior and developing complex skills can be more difficult than taking a few pills. The goal of such an intervention is to bring about a sustainable increase in the subordinates performance while progressively reducing the bosss involvement. Does the subordinate have the intellectual and emotional resources to make the effort that will be required? The methods used to head off the set-up-to-fail syndrome do, admittedly, involve a great deal of emotional investment from bossesjust as interventions do. Your coworker may be planting evidence to make it look like you did something wrong. The first step is for the boss to become aware of its existence and acknowledge the possibility that he might be part of the problem. But sometimesand we would venture to say oftenan employees poor performance can be blamed largely on his boss. Or the employee isnt driven to succeed, cant set priorities, or wont take direction. Managers, for instance, use categorical thinking to figure out quickly who should get what tasks. If you wantindeed, needthe people in your organization to devote their whole hearts and minds to their work, then you must, too. He must have displayed above-average qualifications when we decided to hire him. The set-up-to-fail syndrome is not an organizational fait accompli. The whole time she was helping me with the Phoenix, she was setting me up to be the fall guy. Add the . Could there be other factors, aside from performance, that have led me to label this subordinate a weak performer? Take your coworker aside, and when nobody can listen in, you tell him that he is being set up and the manager wants to get rid of him. The first study, which comprised surveys, interviews, and observations, involved 50 boss-subordinate pairs in four manufacturing operations in Fortune 100 companies. Review your role and determine your value. Finally, bosses trying to modify their behavior in a unilateral way often end up going overboard; they suddenly give the subordinate more autonomy and responsibility than he can handle productively. Even if theres a written job description, use this opportunity to clarify any parts that are vague or subjective. I understand the idea behind the plan that management has hatched but it's a terrible one. They'll ignore. Thats the good news. I don't mean at a nuclear waste dump, I mean at an office where you feel like you're constantly walking on eggshells. As one subordinate admitted, I used to initiate much more contact with my boss until the only thing I received was negative feedback; then I started shying away., Besides the risk of a negative reaction, perceived weaker performers are concerned with not tainting their images further. Does the boss have enough time and energy to do his part? He requires the employee to get approval before making decisions, asks to see more paperwork documenting those decisions, or watches the employee at meetings more closely and critiques his comments more intensely. How can managers break the set-up-to-fail syndrome? Yet there are other costs to consider, some of them indirect and long term. One outstanding performer commented on his bosss controlling and hypercritical behavior toward another subordinate: It made us all feel like were expendable. As organizations increasingly espouse the virtues of learning and empowerment, managers must cultivate their reputations as coaches, as well as get results. Or perhaps the boss and the employee dont really get along on a personal basisseveral studies have indeed shown that compatibility between boss and subordinate, based on similarity of attitudes, values, or social characteristics, can have a significant impact on a bosss impressions. As weve said, an intervention is not always advisable. If reactions are inconsistent, employees take note, andmorale takes a nosedive. You think you have a pretty good handle on why, and decide to share your concerns with your boss. A University at Buffalo School of Management study found . Another way managers appear to avoid the set-up-to-fail syndrome is by challenging their own assumptions and attitudes about employees on an ongoing basis. Imagine you've been told to write copy for the company website. But is it? No one appreciates hard/smart talented workers. When someone is harassing and bullying you at school, you can tell an adult. Youwant to push back on your boss, but how can you? 271305. If you don't get more feedback, you've been set-up-to-fail, not to succeed. Predictably, the subordinate fails to deliver to the bosss satisfaction, which leaves the boss even more frustrated and convinced that the subordinate cannot function without intense supervision. It may even result in the subordinates choosing to leave the company. Worst of all, you dont dare contradict her, because arguing with your boss about her assessment of you is rarely (if ever) a good idea! Balancing the costs and responsibilities of raising kids alone is a struggle. These organizations often lack the resources up front to prevent dysfunction. When they have to manage their own employees, they frequently replicate the behavior that their bosses show to them. Most claims fall into one, or a few of the following categories. Before answering that question, lets take a closer look at the dynamics that set the syndrome in motion and keep it going. Be reliable. Think many people have worked in an environment where "leaders" are actually NOT leaders because they simply don't have the capacity themselves. Why, he wondered, should he submit reports on information he understood and monitored himself? In addition, the energy devoted to trying to fix these relationships or improve the subordinates performance through increased supervision prevents the boss from attending to other activitieswhich often frustrates or even angers the boss. One big sign of being set up to fail is blame-shifting. You are being managed poorly. You get the picture. The key point is that, having been treated fairly, the subordinate is much more likely to accept the outcome of the process. Im going through this.. Im unsure to leave or have an intervention talk and see where that goes. Your coworkers start avoiding you Rumors spread fast, and if people in your office expect you're getting laid off, they're bound to talk about it among themselves. Think ahead Let's say you've noticed multiple situations, instances, and facts that lead you to believe others are working against you. The Economist: "Tempting as it always is to bash the politician, however, Mr Biden's shortcomings are only a marginal reason for his unpopularity. From C-level Executives all the way down, everyone knows whats expected, and what will happen if they dont meet expectations. That is because a boss needs to back up his performance assessments with facts and datathat is, if the intervention is to be useful. Do you feel like you cant trust anyone? The main one is the dismal reality that half the electorate was against him from the get-go.". If I say this to the subordinate, what might he answer? They rescue, seek approval, or get angry themselves. The syndrome usually begins surreptitiously. If its not obvious that theres an HR department, this is your chance to ask how they handle personnel matters when they arise. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. They end up spending a lot of time looking in the rearview mirror and less time looking at the road ahead. Whether they're stealing the credit, criticizing your work in front of others, or leaving you in the lurch on a project, difficult coworkers can make you look bad. It is all about the correct tools to succeed. The only person with that authority (or at least more than you have) refused to manage the project. First, he advises documenting every verbal conversation you have with someone whom you think is out to get you. If they dont prioritize clear internal communication, and formal boundaries between the personal and professional early on, the very things that make them lean and nimble as a startup, will make them toxic as they grow. (For example, a manager might interpret a terrific new product idea from an out-group subordinate as a lucky onetime event.) In other words, it makes sense to think of the intervention as an investment, not an expensewith the payback likely to be high. It can be quite a strain to keep up a facade of courtesy and pretend everything is fine when both parties know it is not. Constructive or unfair dismissal Discrimination or Harassment Unlawful deductions from wages The answers to these questions (or lack thereof) will go a long way towards helping you visualize yourself in the new work environment. Getting results in spite of ones staff is not a sustainable solution. In the case of Steve and Jeff, for instance, an exhaustive sorting of the evidence might have led to an agreement that Steves underperformance was not universal but instead largely confined to the quality of the reports he submitted (or failed to submit). About the Author:Deborah Fillman is a freelance copywriter and content producer specializing in digital marketing and communications. If you keep trying to confront someone who hates in-person confrontation, you aren't going to get very far. Because of his high performance, Steve was chosen to lead a new production line considered essential to the plants future. I do now., Finally, shutting down can mean becoming defensive. Such an environment is a function of several factors: the bosss openness, his comfort level with having his own opinions challenged, even his sense of humor. Your boss sends you email at work from his home office complaining about his secretary, who you thought was your peer. As with most things in life, you can only expect to get a lot back if you put a lot in. Internal communication is vital to organizational health. Youre now the walking, talking reminder of all she cannot fix, and the easiest way for her to solve the problem is to get rid of you. The authors came up with five "components" that a manager should consider when trying to interrupt the set-up-to-fail syndrome starting with the manager acknowledging the problem in a meeting with the employee. In many cases, your first step should be talking to your employer. He says he refuses to work with her anymore because shes so incompetent. Wish I had know I would have asked these questions and not become an escapegoat. Are bosses aware of this sorting process and of their different approaches to in and out employees? As your manager, their job is to help you succeed. But underlying the syndrome are several assumptions about weaker performers that bosses appear to accept uniformly. 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