If You Are the Best Performer, Be on the Side of Good Colleagues.
If you’re an employee superstar, chances are good that you have a purpose behind you. Recent research shows that colleagues want to drag down their best colleagues.
A study led by Elizabeth Campbell of the University of Minnesota and published in the Journal of Applied Psychology looked at several hundred stylists working in a wide variety of salons, selected because they represent a socially dynamic environment in which colleagues have to work individually and interdependently to achieve success. They found that peers were much more likely to speak poorly of their top performers and try to damage their reputation. Moreover, the larger the collaboration environment, the more peers tried to snatch the best performers.
The study then looked at university students who were assigned to work in either a cooperative or a competitive group. In this scenario, peers felt threatened by the best performers only when the group had limited resources that went to those who worked the most. In cooperative groups, where resources were more evenly distributed, colleagues benefited from the best performers, so they supported them rather than undermined them.
This disruptive behavior isn’t all that surprising – you probably suspected it all along – but it’s frustrating to see such clear evidence of such a practice. Think about it. Nobody likes the fussy and malicious employees that make all of their coworkers look bad. They raise management expectations, prevent others from getting promoted, and make other employers feel worse, as if they are not good enough at their job.
But what if you’re that same employee superstar? The best thing you can do is be aware of how your coworkers might perceive you and try to nip the problem in the bud. You don’t want to be less productive or lazy, but it is in your best interest to find ways to share fame, be kind, and do whatever it takes to turn envious coworkers into supportive friends. Bring bagels or donuts, offer your help when you see someone struggling, and stay humble. And if you’re a manager who needs to look after your own team, you also need to be on the lookout. Watch for signs of this behavior and intervene as soon as possible so that it doesn’t escalate into something much worse. Find ways to show employees that collaborating with the best performers makes more sense than undermining them.