Jonah Lehrer, who can always be counted on to post an intriguing and relevant blog, quotes Angela Duckworth, a UPenn psychologist, on her studies regarding children and self-esteem. (To read his blog, go here.) Following kids for four years, the study compared self-esteem and self-control. Duckworth found that achievement was tied to educating in self-control, but that education for self-esteem had no effect on school performance.
Many American kids, particularly in the last couple of decades, can feel really good about themselves without actually being good at anything.
Employees don't normally use self-esteem language in a work setting, but refer to a colleague as having a "big ego." When I ask them what they mean by that, they'll say something to the effect of, "This guy has a really big ego, but can't perform." Duckworth also suggests that the development of self-esteem may support the narcissism that occasionally surfaces its ugly head in the work setting.
I wonder whether there is a relationship between worker "assholes," per Bob Sutton, and all the self-esteem building that's been a part of our culture for forty years. (A frustrating thought: if the relationship is there, I'm culpable, too.) What do you think?
This implies that most of us need to get feedback with some regularity to keep tabs on our own behaviors. Since feedback is nearly always difficult to gain, but less receive, I've laid out the important processes for keeping tabs with feedback. Go here to find that post: feedback. (There are a half-dozen posts on feedback, so check out my category list.)
