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The Pygmalion effect explained
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We don’t like to admit this. Because it sounds weak. Because it sounds like we don’t fully control our destiny. Because we prefer to believe we are lone wolves, alpha beasts, independent thinkers, and all that LinkedIn testosterone poetry. Sorry… but I have to tell you. Your performance is heavily influenced by the expectations of the people around you. Psychologists call it the Pygmalion effect. Simple idea. If people expect little from you… You often deliver little. If people expect more from you… You often rise. Not always. But more often than your ego wants to admit. This happens in schools. In companies. In sports teams. In project teams. Everywhere. Put a talented person in a mediocre environment where everyone accepts excuses, delays, vague thinking, weak ownership, and “good enough” work… And slowly, that person starts shrinking. Not because they became stupid. Because the room made mediocrity normal. Now put the same person in a room where people think sharper, move faster, ask better questions, and don’t clap for average… Different story. That’s why your environment matters. The people around you are either raising your standards… Or quietly lowering them while smiling at you. They arrive as “realism”. As “this is how we do things here”. As “don’t overcomplicate it”. As “just send something”. As “we’ll fix it later”. And then, surprise surprise… The project becomes… Average. And you with it. So, the question is not “How good are you doing?” But… “What kind of room are you in?” And even more important: “Who is expecting more from you than you currently expect from yourself?” My unsolicited advice of today. Stop surrounding yourself with people who are comfortable with your smaller version. For bigger and more challenging rooms… you know where you have to click. ​The Room​ PD 1: If you liked this email, don't keep it in secret and forward it to a friend. They will thank you enormously one day. PD 2: If somebody has sent you this email and you want to receive emails like this yourself, visit vicentevalencia.com PD 3: If you want unsubscribe, click the link below. |
Vicente Valencia
Weekly insights on how to perform when it matters | High-stakes decisions. Real situations. No BS. | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇
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