1. Introduction
The injustice is immeasurable: correcting one risks committing another.
Romain Rolland
Having worked as a programmer since the early 90s, I have often encountered the problem of underappreciation. For example, being young, smart, and positive in every way, I often find myself not advancing up the career ladder. It's not that I'm not advancing at all, but rather that my progress seems misaligned with what I deserve. My work is often evaluated with less enthusiasm, overlooking the beauty of the solutions I provide and the enormous contribution I, specifically I, make to the overall effort. Compared to others, I clearly receive fewer perks and privileges. In terms of professional knowledge, I climb quickly and effectively, yet my career advancement seems stubbornly constrained and suppressed. Are they really all blind and indifferent, or is this some kind of conspiracy?
While you're reading and no one is listening, confess honestly, you have faced similar issues!
Reaching the age of 'Argentina - Jamaica', having traveled from a developer to a systems analyst, project manager, and finally the director and co-owner of an IT firm, I have often observed a similar picture, but from the other side. Many behaviors of the undervalued employee and the manager who undervalues them have become clear and obvious. Many questions that complicated my life and hindered my self-realization for a long time finally received answers.
This article may be helpful for both undervalued employees and their managers.
2. Analysis of the causes of undervaluation
Our lives are defined by opportunities. Even those that we miss...
(The Mysterious Case of Benjamin Button).
As a systems analyst, I will attempt to analyze this issue, systematize the reasons for its occurrence, and propose solutions.
My reflections on this topic were prompted by reading D. Kahneman's book "Thinking, Fast and Slow" [1]. Why is Psychoanalysis mentioned in the title of the article? It is precisely because this branch of psychology is often labeled as unscientific, while constantly being referenced as an unbinding philosophy. Therefore, the scrutiny for charlatanism directed at me will be minimal. Thus, "Psychoanalysis – a theory that helps depict how unconscious confrontation affects an individual's self-esteem and emotional side of personality, as well as their interactions with the environment and various social institutions" [2]. Therefore, let us try to analyze the motives and factors that influence a specialist's behavior, which are "highly likely" imposed by their past life experiences.
To avoid being misled by illusions, let us clarify a key point. In our age of quick decision-making, assessing an employee or candidate often takes just moments, based on their presentation. This image is formed from the impression they make, as well as the signals they involuntarily (or intentionally) transmit to the "evaluator." Indeed, this is the little, unique aspect that remains after template resumes, standardized questionnaires, and stereotypical assessment methods of responses.
As is customary, let's begin our review with the problems. We will identify the factors that may negatively influence the aforementioned performance. We will start with issues that make beginners nervous and move on to the serious problems that drain the seasoned professionals.
My representative sample includes:
1. Inability to articulate thoughts effectively
The ability to express one's thoughts is as important as the thoughts themselves,
because most people have a sense of hearing that needs to be pleased,
and only a few possess a mind capable of judging what has been said.
Philip D. S. Chesterfield
Once at an interview, a young man, who had a very high assessment of his potential but was nonetheless unable to adequately answer any standard questions and made quite a dull impression during the thematic discussion, was greatly offended by the rejection. Drawing from my experience and intuition, I concluded that he had a poor grasp of the subject. I became curious to learn his impressions of the situation. It turned out that he saw himself as someone very well-versed in the material, feeling that everything was clear and understandable to him, but at the same time, he simply couldn't express his thoughts, formulate answers, or convey his point of view, and so on. I can certainly allow for this possibility. Perhaps my intuition deceived me, and he genuinely is very talented. But: firstly, how can I get confirmation of this? And most importantly, how will he communicate with colleagues while performing his professional duties if he cannot even explain himself to people?
A sort of intellectual system, completely devoid of an interface for transmitting signals to the outside world. Who is interested in that?
As specialists say, this behavior may be caused by an innocent diagnosis, such as Social Phobia. "Social Phobia is an irrational fear of entering various situations related to social interaction or being in them. It refers to situations that are in one way or another related to contacts with other people: public speaking, performing professional duties, or even simply being in the company of others." [3]
For the sake of convenience in further analysis, we will label the psychological types we are examining. The first type discussed will be called "#Informal," emphasizing once again that we cannot precisely identify him as "#Ignoramus," nor can we dispute it.
2. Subjectivity in assessing one's level of professionalism
Everything depends on the environment.
The sun in the sky does not hold itself in such high regard as a candle lit in a cellar.
Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach
It can be stated absolutely objectively that any assessment of a specialist's professional capabilities is subjective. However, there is always an opportunity to establish certain qualification levels for an employee based on various key indicators that affect work efficiency. For example, skills, abilities, life principles, physical and mental well-being, etc.
The main problem of self-assessment for a specialist often lies in the misunderstanding (a significant underestimation) of the amount of knowledge, skill level, and capabilities required for evaluation.
In the early 2000s, I was deeply impressed by the interview of a young man for a Delphi programmer position, during which the candidate stated that he only has a good command of the language and development environment since he had been studying them for over a month; however, to be fair, he still needed another two to three weeks to fully grasp all the subtleties of the tool. This is not a joke; that’s how it was.
Surely, everyone had their first program that displayed some 'Hello' message on the screen. Most often, this event is perceived as a pass into the world of programmers, boosting self-esteem to the skies. And then, like thunder, the first real assignment appears, bringing one back down to earth.
This problem is endless, like eternity. More often than not, it simply transforms with life experience, each time moving to a higher level of misunderstanding. The first delivery of a project to a client, the first distributed system, the first integration, as well as high architecture, strategic management, and so on.
This problem can be measured by a metric such as 'Level of Aspiration.' The level a person strives to reach in various areas of life (career, status, wealth, etc.).
Simplified, the indicator can be calculated like this: Level of Aspiration = Amount of Success — Amount of Failure. Moreover, this coefficient can even be empty — null.
From the standpoint of cognitive distortions [4], this is evident:
- 'Overconfidence effect' — the tendency to overestimate one's own abilities.
- 'Selective perception' — considering only those facts that align with expectations.
Let's call this archetype the "#Munchausen." While the character is generally positive, he tends to exaggerate just a little.
3. Reluctance to invest in one's future development
Don't search for a needle in a haystack. Just buy the entire haystack!
John (Jack) Bogle
Another characteristic case leading to the effect of undervaluation is the unwillingness of a specialist to independently delve into something new, to study something promising, reasoning something like: "Why waste extra time? If a task requiring new competencies comes up, I'll master it then."
But often, the task that requires a new skill will fall to someone who works proactively. Someone who has already attempted to immerse themselves in it and can describe the options for solving the new problem as clearly and completely as possible during discussion.
This situation can be illustrated with the following allegory. You go to a doctor for a surgical operation, and he says to you: "I've never actually done surgery, but I'm a professional, I'll quickly skim through the 'Atlas of Human Anatomy' and will expertly cut you open. Don't worry."
For this case, the following cognitive biases are observed [4]:
- "Outcome bias" — the tendency to judge decisions by their final outcomes, instead of evaluating the quality of decisions based on the circumstances at the time they were made ("winners should not be judged").
- "Status quo bias" — the tendency for people to prefer things to remain relatively the same.
For this archetype, we'll use a relatively fresh label: "#Zhdu."
4. Unawareness of one's weaknesses and lack of demonstration of strengths
Injustice is not always tied to some action;
often it consists precisely in inaction.
(Marcus Aurelius)
Another important issue, in my opinion, for both self-assessment and the evaluation of a specialist's level is the tendency to view professional capabilities as a singular, indivisible whole. Good, average, bad, etc. However, it sometimes happens that a seemingly mediocre developer starts taking on a new role, such as leading and motivating a team, and the collective performance thrives. Conversely, there are exceptional developers who, despite their impressive reputation, struggle to organize their colleagues for a common task during a crunch period. Consequently, the project derails, along with their faith in themselves. Their mental state deteriorates, leading to all the associated repercussions.
In all this, management, due to its limitations—perhaps stemming from busyness, a lack of discernment, or disbelief in miracles—tends to see only the visible part of the iceberg in its employees, namely, the results they produce. As a result, the lack of these results, followed by a decline in self-esteem, leads to harsh evaluations from leadership, discomfort within the team, and the sentiment that 'nothing will ever be the same as before...'.
The set of parameters for evaluating a specialist across different fields is likely more or less universal. However, the weight of each specific indicator varies significantly for different specializations and functions. How vividly you express and demonstrate your strengths in your work determines the extent to which your contributions to the team are positively acknowledged. After all, you are not judged solely on your strengths, but on how effectively you apply them. If you don't showcase them in any way, how will your colleagues know about them? Not every organization has the capacity to delve into the depths of your inner world and uncover your talents.
Here, cognitive distortions such as [4] emerge:
- "The bandwagon effect, conformism"—the fear of standing out from the crowd, the tendency to do (or believe in) things because many other people do (or believe in) them. This relates to groupthink, herd behavior, and fads.
- "Regulation" is a trap of continuous orders to oneself to do something, instead of sometimes acting impulsively, spontaneously, when it is more appropriate.
In my opinion, this type is best labeled as "#Private."
5. Adjusting one's commitments to their alternative assessment of contribution
Injustice can be relatively easily transferred;
What truly hurts us is justice.
Henry Louis Mencken
I have encountered cases in my practice where an employee's attempts to independently determine their value in the team, or in the local labor market, led to the conclusion that they are significantly underpaid compared to their colleagues. Here they are, right next to them, doing exactly the same job, but they enjoy higher salaries and more respect. A thrilling sense of injustice arises. Often, such conclusions are linked to the aforementioned errors in self-assessment, where the perception of one's place in the global IT industry is objectively distorted and not in the direction of underestimation.
The next step for such an employee, in an attempt to restore some semblance of justice in the workplace, is to try to do a little less work. Approximately as much as they are underpaid. They demonstratively refuse overtime, engage in conflicts with other team members who are undeservedly elevated and, most likely, because of this, act pompously and conceitedly.
No matter how the "offended" party positions the situation: restoring justice, receiving what they deserve, etc., from the outside, it is perceived purely as confrontation and a show of defiance.
It is quite logical that, following the decrease in their productivity and efficiency, their salary may also decrease. The saddest part of such a situation is that the unfortunate employee links the deterioration of their position not to their actions (or rather inactions and oppositional behaviors), but to further discrimination against their person by stubborn management. The complex of resentment grows deeper.
If a person is not foolish, after the second or third repetition of a similar situation in different teams, they begin to glance sideways at themselves and develop vague doubts about their own exceptionalism. Otherwise, such individuals become eternal wandering nomads among firms and teams, cursing everyone around them.
Typical cognitive distortions [4] for this case:
- "Observer's Expectation Effect" — unconscious manipulation of the course of an experiment to discover the expected result (also known as Rosenthal's effect);
- "Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy" — selecting or adjusting a hypothesis to match measurement results;
- "Confirmation Bias" — the tendency to seek or interpret information in a way that confirms pre-existing beliefs;
Let’s highlight separately:
- "Reactance" — a person's need to do the opposite of what someone encourages them to do, due to a desire to resist perceived attempts to limit their freedom of choice.
- "Resistance" — a manifestation of mental inertia, disbelief in a threat, continuing previous courses of action despite an urgent need to switch: when delaying the transition may worsen the situation; when procrastination may lead to the loss of an opportunity to improve the situation; when faced with emergencies, unexpected opportunities, and sudden disruptions.
We will call this type - "#Wanderer."
6. A formal approach to the matter
Formalism as a personality trait - the tendency to unduly emphasize the external aspects of a matter, fulfilling one's duties without putting their heart into it.
to give excessive importance to the external side of things, to fulfill one's duties without putting heart into them.
It is not uncommon to encounter an individual in a team who is extremely demanding of everyone around them, except themselves. They may become highly irritated, for example, with tardy individuals, about whom they endlessly complain, while being late for work themselves by 20-30 minutes. Or with awful service that daily plunges them into a sea of indifference and soullessness from clueless performers who don’t even attempt to guess their wishes and anticipate their needs. When you begin to explore the reasons for their frustration together, you often find that it is most frequently related to a formal approach to problems, a refusal to take responsibility, and an unwillingness to engage in what they deem to be someone else's business.
But if you don’t stop there and dig deeper into their (the employee's) workday, oh my, you discover all the same signs in their behavior that just annoyed you in others. Initially, a sense of anxiety arises in your eyes, some parallels flash coldly through your mind, and a lightning bolt of realization strikes that they are just as formalistic. Meanwhile, for some reason, everyone owes them everything, while they have just principles: from point A to point B — this is my job, and beyond that, sorry, it’s not my responsibility, and nothing personal.
To illustrate a typical portrait of such behavior, consider the following scenario. An employee reads the task text in the tracker and notices that the problem is described not thoroughly or informatively enough and does not allow them to solve it easily without effort — they simply write in the comments: "Not enough information to solve." After which, with a clear conscience and a sense of duty fulfilled, they dive into the news feed.
In dynamic and low-budget projects, it happens that, in the absence of full-scale bureaucratic descriptions, work efficiency is not lost due to constant, close intra-team communication. And most importantly, due to caring, involvement, and various other forms of 'not indifference.' A team player does not divide responsibility into their own and someone else's; rather, they strive to bring a stagnant problem to the surface. It is precisely such people who are the most valuable and, accordingly, often command a higher price.
From the perspective of cognitive distortions [4], the following manifests in this case:
- The “framing effect” refers to the dependence of a choice on how information is presented. Thus, altering the phrasing of a question with semantically identical content can lead to changes in the percentage of positive (or negative) responses from 20% to 80% or more.
- The “blind spot regarding distortions” means it is easier to notice flaws in others than in oneself (one sees the speck in someone else's eye but fails to notice the log in their own).
- The “moral credential effect” suggests that an individual who believes they are unbiased is more likely to exhibit bias. They perceive themselves as sinless, leading to the illusion that any of their actions will also be without sin.
For this type, let’s label it as “#Official”. Oh, that will suffice.
7. Indecisiveness in decision-making
Timid and dreamy indecisiveness creeps along with laziness, leading to helplessness and poverty...
William Shakespeare
Sometimes a good specialist is labeled as an outsider within the team. When looking at their work results in the context of other employees, their achievements appear above average. However, their opinions go unheard. It’s hard to recall the last time they insisted on their viewpoint. Most likely, their viewpoint has been shelved by some loudmouth.
Because he is uninitiated, the jobs assigned to him are also of secondary quality, making it difficult for him to stand out. It results in a kind of vicious circle.
His constant doubts and fears hinder him from adequately assessing his actions and presenting them in proportion to his contributions.
In addition to just phobias, from the perspective of cognitive distortions [4], one can observe the following:
- “Reversion” refers to the systematic return to thoughts about hypothetical past actions aimed at preventing losses that are the result of irreversible events, fixing the unfixable, and changing an unchangeable past. Forms of reversion include guilt and shame.
- “Procrastination” is the systematic unjustified delay, postponing the start of inevitable work.
- “Underestimating inaction” involves preferring greater harm due to inaction rather than harm due to action, owing to the failure to acknowledge guilt in inaction.
- "Submission to authority" is the tendency of individuals to comply with authority, ignoring their own judgments about the appropriateness of actions.
These harmless individuals are most often likable and do not provoke irritation. Therefore, we will introduce a gentle label for them – "#Avoska" (from the word Avos). Moreover, they are just as unpretentious but extremely reliable.
8. Overestimation (exaggeration) of the role of previous experience
Experience increases our wisdom but does not diminish our foolishness.
G. Shaw
Sometimes positive experiences can lead to unforeseen consequences. This phenomenon manifests, for instance, when a successful application of a 'light' methodology is attempted to be mirrored in a larger project.
A specialist has already traveled the path of producing something several times. The path is thorny, requiring maximum effort the first time, analysis, consultations, and the formulation of certain decisions. Each subsequent similar project proceeded more smoothly and effectively, gliding along the beaten path. A sense of calm arises. The body relaxes, the eyelids grow heavy, a pleasant warmth flows through the arms, sweet drowsiness envelops you, while peace and tranquility fill you...
And now, a new project. And wow, it is larger and more complex. The desire to jump into action is strong. What’s the point of wasting time again on detailed planning if everything is already rolling along the well-trodden furrow?
Unfortunately, in such situations, most specialists, sometimes quite capable and diligent, do not even think that their past experience does not work at all in new conditions. It may work in certain parts of the project, but with nuances.
This realization typically comes at the moment when all deadlines have been missed, the required product is nowhere to be found, and the client is, to put it mildly, starting to worry. In turn, this anxiety greatly unsettles project management, forcing them to come up with all sorts of excuses and stress the performers. A picture in oil.
But the most frustrating thing is that when a similar situation arises again, the same picture repeats, and with the same oil. That is, on one hand, the positive experience remains the standard, while on the other—negative, only an awful coincidence that we should quickly forget like a bad dream.
This situation manifests the following cognitive distortions [4]:
- “Overgeneralization” — unfounded transfer of characteristics from specific or even singular cases to broad aggregates.
- “Focusing effect” — a prediction error that occurs when people pay too much attention to one single aspect of a phenomenon; it leads to mistakes in accurately predicting the utility of future outcomes.
- “Illusion of control” — the tendency of people to believe that they can control or at least influence the outcomes of events that they cannot influence.
The label – “#We-Know-What-We're-Doing” seems fitting to me.
Usually, #We-Know-What-We're-Doing are former #Munchausen. And naturally, here comes the phrase: “#Munchausen are never former.”
9. The unwillingness of a seasoned professional to start all over again
We all could use a fresh start — preferably from kindergarten.
Kurt Vonnegut (Cat's Cradle)
It’s also interesting to observe those established specialists whom life has pushed to the sidelines of the IT industry, forcing them to look for a new job. Shaking off the shell of disappointment and insecurity, they breeze through their first interview. Their resumes are enthusiastically shown to each other by impressed HR specialists, saying, look how it should be written. Everyone is feeling uplifted, anticipating at least some miracle happening, and that in the very near future.
But then the workdays flow by, one after another, and the magic never happens.
This is one perspective. On the other hand, a well-established specialist has developed personal habits and notions, on a subconscious level, about how everything around them should operate. It’s not guaranteed that these match the established norms at a new company. Should they even match? Often, discussing or proving something to a seasoned specialist with ears dulled by the same old arguments, weary from the struggles of their profession, is something they neither have the strength nor the desire to do. They also don't wish to change their habits, as it feels somewhat disreputable; after all, they are no longer a novice.
All together, they find themselves in a zone of turbulence and discomfort, unfulfilled hopes and unmet expectations.
For seasoned individuals, a bouquet of cognitive distortions [4] will certainly be more abundant:
- "Choice perception distortion" — excessive stubbornness, attachment to one’s own choices, perceiving them as more correct than they actually are, leading to their justification.
- "Familiarity effect" — the tendency of people to express unwarranted affection towards an object simply because they are familiar with it.
- Irrational escalation — the tendency to remember one’s choices as being more correct than they were in reality.
- "Curse of knowledge" — the difficulties informed individuals face when attempting to view an issue from the perspective of those less informed.
And finally – the pinnacle of creativity:
- "Professional deformation" — psychological disorientation in a personality during professional activity. The tendency to view things according to the rules commonly accepted in one’s profession, discarding a broader perspective.
There’s nothing to be invented for this type; it’s already well-known – "#Othello". The one who missed the mark. Sure, yes, they helped him miss the mark. But he is a moral leader; he should have avoided such a story.
10. Summary of the section
There are walls one can climb over, dig under, go around, or even blow up. But if the wall exists in your mind, it will be immeasurably more reliable than any towering fence.
Chiun, the Sovereign Master of Sinanju
To summarize what has been said above.
Often, a specialist's perception of their place, role, and significance in a team or project is significantly distorted. It would be more accurate to say that what they see and what most of the people around them see diverges greatly in assessment. Whether they have outgrown others, not matured enough, or have priorities for evaluation that stem from different life experiences, one thing is clear — there is a dissonance in collaboration.
Young specialists often face such problems due to a lack of understanding of the criteria for their assessment, as well as a distortion of their understanding of the scope and quality of the requirements imposed on their knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Mature specialists often build mental barriers based on their beliefs about how everything should be arranged and suppress any manifestations of dissent, even those that are more desirable and progressive.
Having identified the motives that trigger negative behavioral patterns in employees that impede career growth, we will then try to find scenarios that can mitigate their influence, if possible, without medication.
List of References[1] D. Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow, ACT, 2013.
[2] Z. Freud, Introduction to Psychoanalysis, St. Petersburg: Aleteya SPb, 1999.
[3] “Social Phobia,” Wikipedia, [Online]. Available: .
[4] “List of Cognitive Distortions,” Wikipedia, [Online]. Available: .
Source: habr.com
