The Pygmalion Effect, according to the American author Robert Merton, is an expectation that encourages people to act in ways that make the expectation become true, this effect can be presented in a positive way, in which a positive effect occurs in a subject, so that the effect proceeds causing an increase in self-esteem in the subject.
The following example shows how this effect can impact the business world.
"Eduardo's experience presenting his medium-sized company"
Once upon a time, a medium-sized company was run by Eduardo the general manager, who started off very well, all the willing workers went to work. After days, months and years, difficult days came, in which the company was no longer doing very well as before, the days passed like this and the situation was more difficult, the general manager of the company became more and more concerned and vulnerable. One day Eduardo found an article that his lawyer gave him, when he was at the University, the article said: "If you want to eat bread in December, plant wheat in May."
Eduardo reflected and said - The company has and must reach a good future. We have to think about the actions we are going to take to reach that good future. He walked the hallways of the company a few times and saw that some employees were unmotivated, bored with the same routine.
Eduardo went outside the company for a moment to breathe fresh air and met his best friend from the University.
Eduardo - Jorge How are you ?, It's been a long time not…
Jorge - Yes, I tell you that I have my own company, I also says Eduardo.
Jorge - and… how are you doing?
Eduardo - Well actually not very well, unfortunately it's been two years that the company is not doing very well
Jorge - And how is that?
Eduardo - If it seems that my workers are a little unmotivated, bored and don't believe in me anymore.
Jorge - Look, I can help you out.
Eduardo - How?
Jorge - I have five very good workers in my company, they are excellent, they can help you with your problems, tomorrow I sent them to you and you will see that they are the most efficient and hard-working workers in the world.
Saying goodbye with a big smile - Goodbye Jorge, Goodbye Eduardo.
The next day, the workers showed up at the company and Eduardo informed them of the situation he was in and began to support, motivate, tell them and look them in the eye - I need you to take over the company, he trusted you that They will manage to get the company out of these problems.
The workers felt positive, motivated, the company was in their hands. The five people felt committed to Eduardo's company, they began to work more and more, while Eduardo helped them, conveyed confidence to achieve the objectives.
Little by little the workers felt very good, as if they were working in their own house, the results exceeded Eduardo's expectations. The company was reborn with the 5 new workers, in addition to the fact that they began to open channels of communication and motivation for the other employees of the company, they already felt motivated and with new challenges to meet.
At the end of a day, Eduardo meets Jorge.
Jorge says to Eduardo - and… how did it go?
Eduardo - Very well those five people you sent me, managed to get the company ahead, thank you, thank you very much!
Jorge - You know I have to tell you a secret, but don't get mad, those five people who work in your company today, one day worked with me, I gave you the five worst employees that I had in my company, I sent them to you get rid of them.
Eduardo - But how?
Jorge - You believed what I told you, that they were good, the best, excellent workers, but in reality they are the opposite, well they were the opposite.
Jorge - You believed that the five workers were perfect to achieve what you wanted and you achieved it.
You know the prophecies tend to come true when there is a strong desire that drives them and you did it with them.
