Ducks in a Row: the High Value of Consistency
by Miki Saxon
An interesting article in the Washington Post focuses on a study that shows people are less stressed if their boss is consistently unfair than if she is unfair one minute and fair the next.
“Intuitively, you would think the more fairness you get, the better,” said Fadel Matta, a researcher at Michigan State University and the lead author of the paper, in an interview. “But that’s not what we demonstrated. It’s better if supervisors are a consistent jerk than if they’re fair sometimes and not fair other times. People want to know what they can expect when they come into work.”
Reading that reminded me of something I wrote back in 2009.
The action is inconsistency and the primary effect is fear. Secondary effects include intimidation and insecurity. (…) It’s not knowing that really gets to people—even more than expected abuse. (…) That fear grows exponentially once it takes root and distrust typically increases at the same rate.
As far back in history as you care to go, no matter the circumstances — work, personal, relationship, religious — inconsistency has always been a negative.
What also seems to be a constant, in this case in the workplace, is the inability for bosses’ opinions of themselves to accurately reflect their employees’ take on the same subject — although the disconnect does embody a kind of consistency.
In short, when evaluating your own actions for consistency don’t ask yourself, your boss, or your peer.
Ask the people who actually experience you every day of their lives.
Ask your team.
Flickr image credit: Susanne Nilsson
