Communications Case

A couple of extremely attention-grabbing topics were discussed in this week’s session and were part of the self study assignments. We talked about the Pygmalion Effect or the Rosenthal Effect which is a phenomenon whereby greater the expectation placed upon people, the better they perform. We also talked about communications in organizations. I think effective communication is a very important facet of group behavior within any organization and is key to the organization’s success.

The first thing that came to my mind while watching the Pygmalion Effect video was how the theory can be applied to improve student’s performance in a classroom. I remember listening to a story on NPR couple of years back about a teaching experiment being conducted where in instead of following a set teaching syllabus, the teachers kept the curriculum difficult for the students by raising the bar by challenging them to harder things once they clear a certain level in their studies. This experiment saw a gradual increase in the grasping power of students as they responded to the challenges posted by their teachers. In an office setup I see Pygmalion effect in how one can effectively coach an employee and then delegate. During the coaching stage if the manager is convinced that the people in his group are first rate, they will outperform the group whose manager believes otherwise. Effective coaching infuses confidence in the employee and allows the manager to leverage each individual team member’s personal strengths by uncovering excellence. Effective coaching lays the foundation for delegation. Delegation, if done right, can go a long way in increasing the job satisfaction of an employee and his or her job performance.

The next topic I would like to reflect upon is communications. Communication is undoubtedly one of the most important skills to perfect. Being able to communicate effectively and clearly in your own environment and comfort zone may seem challenging