The Pygmalion effect in business or how positive expectations transform your teams

You've probably heard this phrase before:” Believing in someone already means helping them succeed. ” What if it was not just a nice formula, but a real Lever of performance at work ?

In a context where Employee engagement has become a strategic issue, the role of management, and more specifically the quality of its expectations from employees, is becoming decisive.

That's where the scene comes in The Pygmalion Effect, a psychological phenomenon powerful but often unknown or poorly exploited. This is not a concept reserved for psychology courses or personal development books: it is a concrete lever, activable on a daily basis, which can be used on a daily basis, which can transform the dynamic sustainably of a team, a department, or even an entire work collective.

What is the Pygmalion effect?

The Pygmalion effect is the power of helping beliefs that we hold about others.

To make it simple: When you are convinced that an employee is capable of achieving great things, there is a good chance that they will surpass themselves. On the other hand, if your gaze on him is limiting... he may level out.

In other words: a manager's perspective influences the behaviors, efforts and even the performance of his employees. Not by magic, but by a very human mechanism ofpositive influence (or negative).

This phenomenon was brought to light in the 1960s by psychologists Rosenthal and Jacobson. They showed that students perceived as” Promising ” to their teachers, without this being based on any real criteria, obtained much better results... simply because the teachers believed in their potential, encouraged them more, talked to them differently.

Applied to the company, this means that an employee who is trusted, valued and intelligently stimulated will naturally align with this positive image. He will want to live up to what is projected on him and have more confidence in himself. So it is not a magic wand, but a powerful virtuous circle: positive expectations → encouraging managerial behavior → increased confidence → commitment and performance.

And good news: this circle can be activated without a budget, without a cumbersome process, or big speech. Just with attitudes, words, and a particular attention to how you look at your collaborators.

Pygmalion effect in action: how managers' expectations really influence results

Far from being a vague concept reserved for psychology books, The Pygmalion Effect is translated every day into the managerial relationships, often without being aware of it.

When a manager sees the success factors, he releases it

Let's take a simple example: two employees, same skill level, same position. The first receives regular, solution-oriented feedback, with explicit signs of trust (“You are the right person for this project, I can't wait to see what you come up with”). The second receives brief instructions, little feedback, and polite silence in the face of his initiatives.

Result? The first dare, proposed, is more involved. The second doubt falls back.

Same starting point, different trajectories.

This is the Pygmalion effect in practice: The manager's attitude guides how to give feedback, set goals, and recognize efforts. And these managerial micro-choices have a macro impact on performance.

And that can be measured: according to Gallup, committed teams are 21% more productive than others. And this commitment often starts with a manager who sincerely believes in the potential of his employees and who translates this into daily behaviors.

Negative expectations also come true

“On the other hand, if the employee sees unfavorable signs of recognition from the manager coupled with a more directive, less rewarding management style, then the Pygmalion effect will have a deleterious effect on his results. Some employees even end up adopting the limiting vision that their manager has of them with collateral negative effects: reduced self-esteem, self-denigration of abilities or skills and ultimately a decrease in the quality of work.” Isabelle Hastings, QVCT @Qualisocial consultant & expert

It's the Reverse side of the Pygmalion effect: the self-fulfilling prophecy. And the consequences are not long in coming: loss of motivation, loss of involvement, desire to leave. Besides, who has never heard a loved one say:” It's not the job the problem, it's my manager. If this continues, I'm leaving.”

The cost is human, but also economic: absenteeism, disengagement, Turnover... so many symptoms of broken trust.

A positive and rewarding perspective = a real mental resource for employees

1 French employee out of 4 declares themselves in poor mental health (Qualisocial x Ipsos 2025 Barometer). This figure alone is a reminder of how the quality of managerial skills is a key factor in workplace health.

And the Pygmalion effect plays a direct role here:

• An employee with low confidence in the future is 4.3 times more likely to be in poor mental health.
• Conversely, those who feel supported and valued show +39% more commitment at work and 2.4 times more ability to concentrate.

In other words: believing in your employees is not “being nice”, it is creating the mental conditions for their development and effectiveness.

How to integrate the Pygmalion effect into your HR policy?

We have seen it: believing in the potential of employees is not a managerial “plus”, it is a strategic driver of performance. Good news: it is possible to make it a fully-fledged HR practice, with simple actions that are accessible at all levels of the company.

Focus on a positive managerial posture

The valorization and recognition of its teams needs to be worked on. It starts with daily managerial postures:

• One constructive feedback, regular, which talks about progress as well as areas for improvement.
• One setting goals that values effort, not just results.
• One reconnaissance sincere, even on small daily actions.

💡 Companies that have trained their managers in active listening and recognition have experienced up to +30% greater job satisfaction (Source: Active Listening Statistics And Trends in 2023 report). And it's not just for big groups. This type of training, in groups or in field coaching, can (and must) adapt to each work environment.

Examples of concrete actions

Here are some levers that are easy to activate, regardless of the profile of the teams (offices, factories, field):

• Of managerial interviews focused on the strengths of the collaborator (rather than on the faults to be corrected).
• One Team routine to celebrate small successes every week.
• One feedback board visible in the workshop, where everyone can recognize the efforts of a colleague.

“The important thing is not to aim for perfection at all costs. What matters is to believe in everyone's ability to evolve, and to make management a lever for development.” Isabelle Hastings, QVCT @Qualisocial consultant & expert

Adapting HR levers to realities on the ground

There is not a single Pygmalion effect, there are as many as there are working contexts. A production manager won't express expectations like an office manager, but in both cases, clarity, kindness, authenticity, and recognition are game changers.

HR policies benefit from offering differentiated tools, but aligned with the same objective: create safe, supportive and stimulating work environments.

The 3 QVCT pillars to prioritize in 2025

According to our 2025 Mental Health & QVCT Barometer (Qualisocial x Ipsos), three QVCT levers are key to nurturing a positive and sustainable management culture:

• The feeling of safety (physical and mental) at work: For an employee to dare to express himself, to project himself, he must first feel respected, listened to, confident.
• Relationships and the work environment : The quality of relationships between colleagues, managers, headquarters and field teams is a major factor of commitment.
• Organization of work and tasks : Clarifying roles, reducing the mental load, giving visibility: so many ways to strengthen motivation and mental health.

As a reminder, when these three pillars are aligned, employees in good mental health show +39% more commitment, 2.4 times more concentration, and a lot more desire to stay in the company.

Perspectives: Pygmalion effect and sustainable transformation of work groups

What if the Pygmalion effect wasn't just a managerial tool, but a lever for the transformation of work cultures? When it is rooted in HR practices, it not only boosts motivation from time to time: it structures healthier, more efficient and more sustainable environments.

Concrete and lasting impacts

• Loyalty : an employee who feels supported, valued and recognized has much less reason to leave.
• Well-being : the effects of a benevolent managerial posture extend well beyond the direct relationship; the whole collective benefits.
• Employer brand : an environment where you genuinely believe in talent makes you want... and you can see it from the outside. Commitment is becoming a driver of attractiveness.

Experiment, adjust, measure

The key? Do not aim for perfection, but for a dynamic of learning and experimentation. Start small: a training course, a workshop, a new team ritual...

And above all, measure the impact:

• engagement rate;
• qualitative feedback;
• Turnover or absenteeism rate;
• QVCT barometer results.

It is in repetition and sincerity that the Pygmalion effect unfolds all its power.

The Pygmalion effect isn't magic: it's active trust. The one that transforms ordinary exchanges into performance drivers, well-thought-out feedback into drivers of engagement, and work groups into sustainable and aligned teams.

The good news in all of this? You can start today: A question asked differently, an objective formulated with kindness, a recognition expressed without delay... Small actions, big effects.

At Qualisocial, we support companies in this dynamic, by equipping managers, HR and field teams to develop environments favorable to mental health, QVCT and sustainable commitment.

Are you already planning? It's probably because the Pygmalion effect is on.

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