#82: Perceptual errors at work - part 4
I’ve explained before that the poor boss at the top must make decisions of great import based on a steady stream of good news. Yes, the boss decides on salary increases, bonuses, promotions, and so on. But this does not explain why we assume that bearing bad news will be bad for us personally.
Actually, this is a very common problem: people just don’t like being the bearers of bad news. Social psychologists call this the MUM effect. People tend to either keep quiet about bad news or distort it to make it more palatable.
Research has uncovered why we do this: We do this not because we feel personal discomfort about sharing bad news or because we feel sorry for the recipient. We do so because we realize that bad news results in bad feelings.
And we know intuitively that these bad feelings could translate into us being liked less, ...simply for passing on the bad news.
I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com
Copyright: 2007 James Henry McIntosh
James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
Monday - 7:19am and Saturday - 8:19am
Actually, this is a very common problem: people just don’t like being the bearers of bad news. Social psychologists call this the MUM effect. People tend to either keep quiet about bad news or distort it to make it more palatable.
Research has uncovered why we do this: We do this not because we feel personal discomfort about sharing bad news or because we feel sorry for the recipient. We do so because we realize that bad news results in bad feelings.
And we know intuitively that these bad feelings could translate into us being liked less, ...simply for passing on the bad news.
I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com
Copyright: 2007 James Henry McIntosh
James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
Monday - 7:19am and Saturday - 8:19am
posted by James Henry McIntosh at
8:18 AM
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