Hoekom word giftige mense bevorder? Vir dieselfde rede nederige mense bevorder word: Politieke/Sosiale vermoë

Hoekom word giftige mense bevorder? Vir dieselfde rede nederige mense bevorder word: Politieke/Sosiale vermoë

Partykeer word die verkeerde kollegas bevorder. Hulle mag oneerlik wees en onbeskaamd manipulerend, sonder enige skuldgevoel (psigopaties); of selfgesentreerd en net fokus op hulself, met ‘n grootheidswaan, eie-geregtigheid en ‘n gesindheid van meerderwaardigheid (narsissisme).

Kollegas wat een of meer van hierdie karaktereienskappe illustreer, is meer geneig om gedrag wat neerkom op uitbuiting in die werkplek te manifesteer. Dit kan frustrerend wees vir eerlike en nederige mense om te sien hoe hierdie kollegas voorkom in die werksplek. Hoekom, gegewe hulle giftigheid (toksisiteit) beweeg hulle deur die range? Hoe kry sulke mense reg om sukses te behaal in die werksplek?

Om hulle te verstaan moet gekyk word na hulle vermoê om die kantoor politiek goed te kan hanteer. Hul kantoor politieke vermoë word beskryf as goeie sosiale vermoëns en dit help met hul interaksie en netwerking in die kantoor opset; hulle invloed op ander in die kantoor. Hierdie mense wys hoë/verfynde sosiale bewustheid en lyk opreg in hulle interaksie met andere.

Sogenaamde giftige kollegas wat ‘n hoë waardering ondervind deur hulle wergewers/toesighouers - van hulle politieke vermoëns - het ‘n beter kans om gunstigige lug beskou te word. Met ander woorde nie alle giftige kollegas het kranige politieke/sosiale vermoëns nie, maar diegene wat dit goed gebruik vind guns in die oë van hulle werkgewers/toesighouers (bestuurders) en word beskou as BETER werkers. En hulle word gewoonlik beskerm, voorgetrek en bevorder.

Is daar ‘n manier om te keer dat hierdie mense bevorder word? Beide werkgewers/toesighouers en Industriële sielkundiges kan hierdie tipe mense indentifiseer indien hulle bedag is op hierdie mense en hulle karaktereienskappe en daarvoor uitkyk. Bestuurders/toesighouers kan ook hierdie persone se kollegas en ondergeskiktes pols alvorens hulle bevorder word, aangesien giftige werknemers anders teenoor hul kollegas en ondergeskiktes optree as teenoor base wat die besluitnemings mag het. Maar hulle kan nie altyd ge-identifiseer word nie, veral as hulle reeds daardie politieke/sosiale vermoëns het en werkgewers wil nie altyd hierdie mense wegwys nie – hulle kan baiekeer goed wees vir ‘n organsisasie. So ‘n persoonstipe is baiekeer nodig om ‘n taak te verrig wat vreesloos, logies, koud en gevoelloos gedoen moet word. Goeie bestuurders kan hierdie tipe mense uitplaas en gebruik en terselfdertyd hul vernietigende invloed op ander werknemers beperk.

Wat van die eerlike en nederige mense – sal hulle altyd tweede kom teenoor hierdie tipe persoonlikhede? Nie noodwendig nie. Hierdie giftige kollegas gebruik dalk hulle politieke/sosiale vermoëns vir hul eie gewin en hulle doen dit goed. Maar daar is nie ‘n verskil tussen die voermoëns om ‘n taak suksesvol af te handel tussen so ‘n persoonstipe en eerlike-nederige werknemers nie.

Navorsing stel voor dat as jy een van die eerlike en nederige persone is wat voel hulle word uitgelaat, kan jy regkom deur dieselfde tipe politieke/sosiale vermoëns te ontwikkel en op so ‘n manier bevoordeel te word. Stel belang in mense, binne en buite die werksplek en leer ‘n diverse groep mense ken. Laat hulle besef jy stel belang in hulle, nie net vir ander se onthalwe nie (hulle wat jou sien in interaksie met ander nie), maar vir die onthalwe van die wat jy leer ken…luister na hulle en vra hulle uit na hulle persoonlike en professionele lewens. As jy ‘n goeie konneksie en verhouding met hulle kan kweek sal hulle ook geneig wees om na jou voorstelle te luister.

Om politieke/sosiale vermoëns te besig en te illustreer is dalk makliker vir sommige as andere, maar dit kan aangeleer word. En wanneer jy dit gebruik vir gesonde persoonlike gewin en gesonde gewin vir die organisasie/besigheid kan dit voordelig wees beide vir jou en jou organisasie/besigheid.

Aangepas en vertaal deur Omar Daniel Fourie uit “Why Do Toxic People Get Promoted? For the Same Reason Humble People Do: Political Skill”, by Klaus J. Templer.

Web: https://hbr.org/2018/07/why-do-toxic-people-get-promoted-for-the-same-reason-humble-people-do-political-skill

Original Article:

• Why Do Toxic People Get Promoted? For the Same Reason Humble People Do: Political Skill

Sometimes the wrong people get promoted. They might be deceitful and unscrupulously manipulative (what psychologists call “Machiavellian”); or impulsive and thrill-seeking without any sense of guilt (psychopathic); or egotistically preoccupied with themselves, having a sense of grandiosity, entitlement, and superiority (narcissistic). Employees with one or more of these three personality traits, known as the “dark triad,” are more likely to cheat, engage in fraudulent or exploitive workplace behavior, and make unethical decisions. It can be frustrating for honest and humble people to watch these employees get ahead. Why, given their toxicity, do they rise through the ranks? How do such people manage to succeed?

In a recent research study published in Personality and Individual Differences, I looked at the influence of political skill among employees. Political skill is defined as a positive social competence that helps people network, influence others, demonstrate social astuteness, and appear sincere in their dealings with others.
I surveyed 110 employees in Singapore in a variety of industries and positions, asking them how they viewed their political skill in the workplace. I also determined their scores on the H-factor of personality. High scores on the H-factor indicate honesty-humility. Low scores are practically identical with the common core of the dark triad. Finally, I also surveyed these employees’ bosses.

I noticed that toxic employees whose political skills were highly rated by their supervisors were more likely to have a high performance rating. In other words, while not all toxic people possess political skill, those toxic people who use political skill effectively in the eyes of their bosses are seen as better performers. And as we all know, those who are seen as top performers are more likely to be promoted.

Is there a way to prevent toxic people from moving up? Organizational psychologists who are knowledgeable in personality and behavioral assessments may help identify toxic personalities early, but if the employee possesses political skill, this task is difficult. Bosses could also check with an employee’s colleagues and subordinates before making a promotion, as toxic people may behave differently toward colleagues and subordinates than toward bosses who have decision power.

But it’s also worth remembering that sometimes these difficult personality types can be useful for the organization. Imagine you need that James Bond–like figure for a difficult task to be executed fearlessly, logically, and emotionlessly. For example, a failing firm may need to downsize if it has any hope of surviving. While the need to fire employees can create a heavy emotional burden for most managers, for a manager low in empathy it is much less traumatic. Or maybe you absolutely need a technical specialist, even though they are a bit of a narcissist. Good managers figure out how to deploy these kinds of people while limiting the damage they do to other employees.

How about the honest and humble people — will they always lose out to these dark personalities? Not necessarily. It’s just that some toxic people are able to use political skill for their own purposes and are successful in it. In my research I found that once political skill was controlled for, there was no difference in the average task performance ratings between toxic and honest-humble employees. And when it came to a task such as team facilitation, honest-humble employees received higher ratings than their toxic peers (again, when I controlled for political skill). This data helps explain why there are plenty of nontoxic people who rise through the ranks.

If you are one of these honest and humble people who feel left out, this research suggests you can make a run for the same promotion by acquiring political skill. Build your network with diverse groups of key people inside and outside the organization. Show genuine interest in other people (in a way that is apparent to them; it doesn’t help if others do not notice). Actively listen to others, and ask them about their professional and personal interests. If you are able to establish good rapport with others, they will also listen more to your suggestions.

While demonstrating political skill is easier for some, it can be learned. When you use it for healthy personal and organizational goals, it can increase both your performance and your company’s.

Klaus J. Templer is an Associate Professor of Organizational Psychology at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.