Insight: Why We Are Less Self-Aware Than We Think—and What to Do About It

by Tasha Eurich

And the MUM effect doesn’t just apply to the kind of personal news people withheld from Glen Lester. It also applies to the delivery of uncomfortable or unwanted information about our failings or weaknesses. I recently heard about a work group whose manager abruptly resigned. Upon learning the news, each of his five employees fancied themselves his successor and eagerly awaited their near-certain promotion. Not only did the promotion never come; the group’s senior manager hired someone from the outside. Apparently, unbeknownst to all five employees, none were doing their current jobs acceptably in the eyes of their employer, let alone being considered for a promotion. But had the leader—or anyone—told them? Of course not! If the employees had received feedback, though, they each would have had the chance to improve. Their manager’s avoidance of social discomfort didn’t just hurt their promotion prospects; it hurt the functioning of the team as a whole.

This is qualitativly different from the Glenn example. In that example the people involved didn't know Glenn or the details of the bad news. They couldn't answer his questions if he asked. They also didn't know how he might react. In the example of the boss, we witness a person not doing his job. Part of the job is to give accurate and helpful feedback to team members so they and the team improve. He didn't do that. If you're the new manager coming in, among the first things you must do is tell team members how they were evaulated and get them on the path to improved performance.