What happens when perfectionism pressure impacts an entire workplace? There are both positives and negatives for employees, culture and productivity.
Tech entrepreneur Steve Jobs was often described as a tireless perfectionist. His desire to attain perfection frequently provoked misunderstanding and personal tirades that ultimately led to his dismissal as CEO of Apple in 1985.
Yet, many believed that Jobs’ perfectionism was what propelled Apple’s success.
However, when perfectionism extends from an individual to a team or organisation, what long-term impact does it have on employee morale, culture and, ultimately, performance and productivity?
Dr Anna Carmella Ocampo, a researcher at the De Vinci Research Center in Paris, has studied the interpersonal effects of perfectionism in organisations, particularly when modelled by leaders.
She says that perfectionism can certainly help leaders drive high-quality performance among staff as they are intolerant of shoddy work.
On the flip side, perfectionism is linked with characteristics and behaviours that make it hard to maintain good relationships with colleagues.
“Perfectionists were found to be excessively negative, aggressively competitive and often preoccupied with work and personal achievement goals that might potentially compromise their interpersonal relations,” says Ocampo.
When a workplace is taken over by perfectionism, many things start to slide, and the signs are often visible in plain sight, says Scott Stein, leadership specialist and author of Leadership Hacks.
“I have seen this too often, when staff start to hide their mistakes for fear of being criticised by perfectionistic managers – which can lead to missed deadlines, a lack of cooperation and, for some staff, a feeling of being isolated.”
Dealing with a manager who demands perfection can be exhausting and relationships start to fray at the edges.
“After a while, the constant criticism and lack of support will lead to decreased morale. When this occurs, employee productivity goes into freefall as people start to use excuses for mistakes and worry about protecting themselves rather than achieving goals,” Stein says.
Perfectionism poisons relationships in other ways, as individuals become unwilling to delegate for fear that the work will not be perfect.
“When this is a manager, rather than creating a supportive and cooperative culture, unfortunately they limit employees’ opportunities to learn and grow to the next level,” says Stein.
Mann advises managers to open up the discussion and give people who display perfectionist tendencies opportunities to receive feedback and share their own perspective.
Setting clear guidelines about work time limits is key for all staff. A smart leader will bring humanity into the workplace by showing their own vulnerability – such as revealing that they have missed deadlines sometimes. Unfortunately, not many managers are willing to do this.
Lemon points out that steering employees towards “good enough” or aiming for best practice helps to create a supportive environment that allows staff to be willing to ask for help and be engaged at the same time.
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