Halo effect is more subtle than you imagined

Anyone having worked for corporate sector would have come across a situation where he/she felt unnoticed or unrecognized for one’s work. We all have examples to recollect when the credit that rightly belonged to us, was given to someone else. I did not even have to wait for a corporate life, as I encountered such experiences even during my higher studies. The one who labors is often not the one is rewarded. Such office politics is seldom spoken of, but largely observed.

It is not only the consequence of the individual playing politics, but the other team members and the organization also has got a role to play. Some human resource professionals would argue that it is the result of halo effect, wherein one person outshines the others and this affects the later evaluation of the team. I won’t deny that, but this assumes that the victims are simply helpless. Often people don’t understand that the shadowed people are equally responsible for leading to halo effect. My recent brief research with a professor in Organizational Behavior shows that there are individual, group-level and organizational factors at play.

Individual-level dynamics

Any individual who tries to outshine others does it either by action or by demonstration. Let’s call this individual the ‘alpha’ for better reference. If the alpha relies on meticulous work to get recognition, then he/she deserves the attention. However, problems arise when alpha does less work on the ground and spends more efforts in showcasing the work to superiors. This is the start of the formation of halo effect. In parallel, alpha also maintains a lead over others through formal means of communication. Regardless of the amount and substance of the work done for a project, alpha ensures that he/she stays on the top of mind recall for the superiors. This proactive behavior towards maintaining regular contact with bosses fixates the image of alpha in the latter’s mind.

The alpha would also not lose a chance to speak to clients, to present demos and to speak for the team during the team meetings or the daily stand-ups in scrum process. For alpha, it is important to become the face of the team. This also makes the superiors reach out to alpha for any clarifications or updates on the project, for they know that the response can be expected soon.

Team-level dynamics

The alpha can argue that he/she has put in effort to create an image for himself/herself, and therefore deserves the recognition. No doubts about that. However, the team also has a responsibility to check such behavior, wherein one person steals the limelight at the expense of others. This is where team meetings become quite important. I have seen, sometimes, that when the team is questioned by the seniors, team members often by default rely on alpha to answer. This may be because alpha comes out as articulate, or maybe because alpha has better rapport with the seniors, which gives a false assurance to other team members that alpha can handle the matter better. Over time, team members unknowingly amplify the halo effect.

Even during the daily stand-up calls with clients, whenever a crisis occurs, the team banks upon the alpha to respond and sort the matter out. The team members stay content with having not been required to face the wrath of clients momentarily, but in the long run, the alpha benefits. It is because of these situations that the alpha is seen more as a leader. During team discussions, if alpha interjects someone’s point abruptly for a number of times and no one objects to it, it clearly establishes the authority of the alpha.

Organization-level dynamics

The senior team is no less responsible. If it is clearly visible that one individual out of the team takes the lead to respond and present all the time, then the senior team must intervene. Sometimes, the senior management may just be concerned with the work getting done. And therefore, may not bother themselves with ensuring equity in the team. This gives a leeway for one individual to shine out and others to get shadowed. During appraisal, since alpha tops the memory list, favorable credits can go to him/her easily.

The workaround

However, all is not a lost game. There are ways to check such behavior and the occurrence of bias in credit attribution. It is on the team and the seniors to ensure such biases don’t creep in during any process of recognition of efforts.

Team members to be vigilant

It is important for people working in a team to be vigilant of any person trying to dominate during team meetings, brainstorming sessions or presentations. If you ever find a person who interrupts you or others during team discussions repeatedly, address it. Bring the team back to your point and make yourself heard, especially before your boss. Silence can be a sign of submission, which may point towards incompetence.

Take turns to present

If there is any presentation of application demos or proof of concept, take initiative. Try to ensure that different team members get a chance to present and be visible to the superiors and the clients.

Peer-grading

It is crucial to have peer-review process as a part of appraisal. This is when the team can anonymously grade others and penalize an alpha for sacrificing team dynamics.

Skip-level meetings

I have always been supportive of having skip-level meetings much before appraisal process, where employees get a chance to interact one-on-one with the senior of one’s boss, in the absence of the latter. This can ensure that all concerns are voiced and employees can get to know if their efforts are not visible.

Conclusion

Organizational politics can sometimes be subtle enough to skip our eyes. Halo effect manifests itself in subtle ways and fighting office politics requires recognizing it first. It is only when we are at the receiving end that we understand what all transpired behind the scenes. It is better to be vigilant, meticulous and just in one’s approach to work.