In an article published last month in La Vanguardia, journalist Adelaida de la Peña revealed to us the “tiara syndrome,” which is how the feeling of those people who always work hard and in silence has been named, waiting for superiors to They end up realizing their worth and rewarding their efforts. They are discreet professionals, who avoid self-aggrandizement, because they fully trust in the power of excellence. The problem is that this behavior is usually accompanied by a constant feeling of discomfort, caused by the frustration of expectations that are often not met.
In fact, Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, a specialist in the power relationships established in organizations, assures that a job well done is not enough to progress in the workplace. According to him, there are other skills, linked to emotional intelligence, that have a much more decisive specific weight when it comes to obtaining recognition. Specifically, Pfeffer identifies two key elements: on the one hand, the need to make oneself visible, and, on the other, the ability to maintain a good relationship with the boss.
Along the same lines, research from Oregon State University, carried out on a sample of 75 employees, also came to the conclusion that self-promotion and rallying are two recurring strategies to achieve the desired medals, either in form professional promotion or salary increase. However, the author of this study, Anthony Klotz, warns of the side effects derived from overdose: “Abusing adulation to superiors and boasting too much about one’s own success can produce short-term results, but in the long run they deteriorate the relationship. with colleagues, accelerate mental exhaustion and impair performance.”
Be that as it may, if an organization entrusts all responsibility for professional development to the social (or melodramatic) skills of its members, it is evident that it is running the risk of wasting a large part of its talent. So companies need to equip themselves with insightful leadership, who knows how to identify the most competent people and place them where they can best shine. Lucid leaders, whose radar lights up when they pass by humble professionals, who do their job well without needing to proclaim it from the rooftops. Bold leaders, who are more attracted to constructive criticism than to sterile flattery.
The writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn tells a famous anecdote that took place in the city of Moscow in mid-1937. It turns out that, at the end of a meeting of the Communist Party, the local secretary of the organization asked for a loud applause for Stalin, who at that time led the nation with an iron fist. All attendees stood up and began a loud applause. One minute, two, three, four… Time passed, but no one dared to stop applauding, for fear of possible reprisals. After 11 minutes of non-stop cheering, the owner of a well-known paper factory decided to stop and sit down. Immediately, the applause stopped, causing general relief. That same night, the businessman was arrested by the KGB. A very illustrative episode that evokes the fundamental reflection: on whom does it really depend on whether playing ball becomes a habitual and beneficial practice?
