We have always been taught not to judge people hastily and/or to build a misjudgment about them. However, this practice is still common, especially in the workplace among many employees and managers. To clarify this situation further, today we will discuss the concept of halo effect and its meaning in Psychology.

What is the halo effect?

The meaning of halo effect, in short, refers to the act of jumping to conclusions about someone else's ability In other words, a person, just by studying a characteristic in someone, claims to be able to analyze and judge his ability, because his mind ends up associating an individual to a universal stereotype in order to facilitate his selection for a certain objective.

Created by psychologist Edward Thorndike in World War I, the term was intended to easily identify certain necessary attributes. For example, the best-looking soldiers, according to Thorndike's study, were more likely to have satisfactory combat skills. According to the psychologist, there was a correlation between an individual's appearance and ability.

This behavior is still present in job selections where the recruiter looks at who has caught his eye the most. If he has sympathized with a certain candidate, he may unconsciously favor that individual's entry into the company On the other hand, if the person does not have specific characteristics, he or she is easily excluded from the group.

Halo effect in project management

The meaning of project management refers to the application of knowledge and skills to achieve effective results. However, it is common for the Halo effect to appear in the course of a management due to mistaken personnel choices. All because some characteristics of a person may be overvalued or underestimated, compromising their results in the end.

Because of this, a professional specialized in only one area ends up responsible for the entire management, it is recommended that this individual should only work on the demands that are within his or her area of expertise This is because, because of the halo effect, people conclude that this professional's expertise is sufficient to perform all the work.

Thus, only the project manager is the person who should take care of the entire project execution, heading other collaborators. Since the manager has the necessary skills for this service, he or she can achieve more efficient and effective results in practice.

How to avoid the halo effect in project management?

The halo effect in Psychology has already shown how the choice of an inadequate professional can affect a project. In view of this, besides avoiding a hasty judgment regarding a person's capabilities, it is also necessary to avoid problems:

• observe whether the employee has the necessary skills to adequately cope with the demand;
• evaluate what the individual's posture is like in relation to his or her goals and the company's objectives;
• understand the technical aspects of choosing a candidate, such as education, specialization and background in a specific area;
• take references into account, leaving aside any personal judgment to the detriment of the professional side.

The meaning of halo in the organizational environment

Managers in a company need to be clear about how the halo effect affects individual and business results. As the mistaken overestimation of someone's capabilities increases, that person's inadequacy becomes evident. If this scenario happens, the organization will lose money and time for having mistakenly invested in this professional.

On the other hand, underestimating someone's skills has the same negative effect, because the company loses the chance to meet qualified people. Once the organization has defined the project, so should the quality of the team involved. After all, the The company's success depends on its sensitivity in understanding the employees needed for each moment of a job .

Therefore, it is necessary that managers seek to build accurate views regarding someone's competence, ignoring superficial impressions. Evaluating performance in an impartial way is very positive in determining how valuable someone is to the company's growth.

What is the halo effect in performance appraisal?

Often the hallo effect ends up interfering in the performance evaluation performed on a company's employees. Whenever an organization needs to understand its production indicators, it will look at the team behind them. This is why managers need to rely on timely data and information to retain accurate conclusions .

As the report progresses, the competencies and chances for development will be shown to the professional. Thus, he will be able to have a systematic view of his participation in the company's results. In view of this, the performance evaluation must be built on self-assessment, team assessment, results, and the company's contribution.

How to avoid the halo effect?

Although it is recurrent, it is possible to avoid the halo effect in any environment when:

Good managers are involved

One must be aware that the halo effect is mainly caused by a manager who is not competent in evaluation. The person who has this function does not only need to apply his knowledge, but must also show ability, technique and tools for the realization of the projects .

Perform analysis of the variables in the processes

Instead of evaluating the success and failure of results, the manager needs to understand the successes, mistakes, improvements, and qualifications. Besides understanding what works to be successful, the individual needs to discover enhancements that lead to satisfactory improvements. This way, it is possible to be more effective and improve your results as planned.

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Give employees space

Employees need to feel that they are heard, so that they can give constructive feedback on projects. When this freedom is possible, managers can avoid hasty perceptions when evaluating projects .

Awareness

Finally, employees need to understand the values that a company has and how to act on them. The halo effect happens when prejudices about someone's image prevent a real perception of their potential. Even if a company seems more casual, employees need to understand boundaries so as not to be misinterpreted.

On the other hand, a company must understand the variables of the process beyond the idea of success and failure. When one is aware of the team that is coordinated and the tools available it is much clearer how far one can go, getting to know your employees for real and not making assumptions is important for satisfactory results .

Final remarks about the halo effect

In pursuing your personal improvement, it will be necessary to avoid any kind of judgment along the way. The halo effect is one of the greatest impediments for a company or person to grow That is why suspending it as soon as possible and improving your way of evaluating each situation is the best thing to do now.

Never forget how damaging prejudgment can be to relationships and group projects. This happens not only in a company, but also in our personal relationships. So always give people a chance to reveal who they are, showing their values and revealing their contributions.

It is also worth mentioning that you can improve your own skills by enrolling in our online Psychoanalysis course. Besides improving your perception, Psychoanalysis provides you with the tools to build your self-knowledge, as well as expand your inner potential and your capacity for transformation. So, by enrolling in our course, you will be able to deal with the halo effect when it comes your way .