Tall people have power. Short people take charge. Fat people are jolly. True? Not necessarily! The Halo Effect operates “when we draw a general impression of an individual on the basis of a single characteristic such as intelligence, sociability, or appearance.” (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). This happens often. For example, if someone is physically attractive, that person is perceived to have other positive traits like being likeable, competent, and productive. On the flip side, the Devil Effect occurs when a single negative feature gives birth to other negative characteristics. In both cases, we make assumptions that aren’t accurate. For example:
Performance Appraisals: Managers often assume employees who are talented in particular areas are talented in other areas, especially if the first area is important. Conversely, a manager seeing an employee ineffective in an area could rate them inept overall.
Employee to Manager: This effect also manifests itself with employee’s evaluations of their managers. If an employee sees the manager’s messy desk, they may make a judgment that the manager is disorganized … even though the manager knows exactly where everything is. Here’s how to make more sound and objective judgments and limit the halo effect:
Managers: Recognize your bias. If you favor talkative employees, be careful not to give them a better review than quieter ones if their output is identical … and being talkative is not a requirement of the job. Look at the overall picture and be as objective as possible. List all needed work behaviors and weigh them without having a person in mind. Then, make assessments based on just these attributes.
Employees: Look at the big picture and don’t let single events or characteristics contaminate your overall evaluation of your manager. Be careful to make your own opinions and not be biased by others. List positive aspects and find a way to make them work. This can create great working relationships, more productivity and less stress.
(From a Convention Talk by Dr. Mimi on Diversity and Perception)