Defensiveness.
That is a word that we use in our coaching and hiring reports often because we
see a lot of surveys that indicate the person is defensive. But just what does that term mean and
how does it affect job performance?
The answer to that question is that defensiveness has a huge impact on job performance!
According to Kathlyn Hendrics, Ph.D, a best-selling psychology author, “Defensiveness costs
companies billions of dollars in productivity and results every year.” This defensiveness is
related to how a person feels about himself or herself which is their self-esteem.
Self-esteem, like all other emotional character tendencies, is determined by a combination of
genetics and environmental influences and, perhaps, even health issues. Very high self-esteem
can be secondary to an upbringing by parents who provide only positive feedback resulting in
someone who feels they have no shortcomings. People with low self-esteem can appear to be
defensive in an attempt to protect themselves but they are always aware of their shortcomings
and open to improving their performance. Let’s talk about the employee with very high self-
esteem first.
You know this kind of person. This is the person that always has a reason why they are not
responsible for anything that goes wrong—someone didn’t give them the right information, their
alarm clock malfunctioned, the stars and moon were out alignment—it is always someone or
something else’s fault. This is the person who has such high self-regard that they are unable to
comprehend that they have any shortcomings or faults.
Now, if this person’s work related character tendencies match the job requirements, then their
defensiveness may not be much of a factor in his or her job performance. But consider this. Jane
Doe #1 has very high self-esteem and very high consideration and work. She needs to feel
helpful and to stay busy so she ends up taking on others’ responsibilities instead of focusing on
her own. Regardless of how many times her manager asks her to concentrate on her tasks, she is
always able to justify why she is helping someone else.
This Jane Doe may be very capable of performing the responsibilities of a job but would she be a
good hire? Probably not because she would not listen to what she is being told and, therefore,
would never change her behavior. Or, she would require so much supervision that she would
take more effort than would be worthwhile.
Now let’s consider Jane Doe #2 who has very high consideration and work but low self-esteem.
How will her job performance differ from Jane Doe #1? She still has the need to take on others’
responsibilities but the difference is how she responds to the criticism of her performance. Even
though she may still become outwardly defensive, she realizes she is wrong and listens to what
she is being told and then may make changes in her job performance. According to Dr.
Hendricks, “The capacity for learning on the job is a critical factor in business success.”
So, it is that defensiveness that results from very high self-esteem that can cost organization
money. Because, it is that employee who is not going to change or improve their job
performance to become a better employee.
Why are Employees defensive about their performance? - To learn more about this author, visit John M. Beane's Website.
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