One of my friends is a very successful tennis coach, however, he sends his kids to a different coach. This was interesting, and I asked him why can’t he teach his kids. His response didn’t surprise me at all. He said, kids take parents for granted and some times, they listen to outsiders more intently.
I see a similar pattern at work as well. Some times, employees listen to a highly paid external consultant rather than an in-house expert or supervisors.
Why is that ?
I googled around to find some research or articles around this kids behavior, and I found this interesting article. The author gives the following 3 reasons behind kids behind deaf to their parents:
- Biggest Reason #1 - You don't listen to them.
- Biggest Reason #2 - You don't do what you say you're going to do.
- Biggest Reason #3 - You don't keep the commitments you make.
Applying the above reasons in the context of organizations, I see that employees don’t listen to organizations when organizations don’t listen to them. Is this a reasonable hypothesis ?
On a similar note, I have seen another “Celebrity bias”. I have seen some tweets from celebrities tweeted and favorited by hundreds. But the same information published by a lesser known person does not get noticed much. For example, if Seth Godin or Richard Branson say something and if a common man “X” says exactly the same thing, then people tend to believe celebrities more than a common man.
Why do we have this celebrity bias ?
Many people attribute this to “Halo Effect” . Some good stuff from the article below…
As you read above, the halo effect can influence how teachers treat students, but it can also impact how students perceive teachers. In one study, researchers found that when an instructor was viewed as warm and friendly, students also rated him as more attractive, appealing, and likeable.
Marketers take advantage of the halo effect to sell products and services. When a celebrity spokesperson endorses a particular item, our positive evaluations of that individual can spread to our perceptions of the product itself.
Job applicants are also likely to feel the impact of the halo effect. If a prospective employer views the applicant as attractive or likeable, they are more likely to also rate the individual as intelligent, competent, and qualified.
So, the next time you trying to make an evaluation of another person, whether it is deciding which political candidate to vote for or which movie to see on a Friday night, consider how your overall impressions of an individual might influence your evaluations of other characteristics. Does your impression of a candidate being a good public speaker lead you to feel that she is also smart, kind, and hard-working? Does thinking that a particular actor is good-looking also lead you to think that he is also a compelling actor?
