Set up to Fail Syndrome: How you Boss can derail you from your track

It is always said that your career is in your hands - all of it, the good and the bad. You have to progress with responsibility. But in this whole career journey, there is a critical stakeholder for your career, and that is your boss. The relationship with your boss can be complex—sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not so good. 

In this article, we will discuss a unique aspect of this love-hate relationship known as Set Up to Fail Syndrome. Let’s get into the details.

What is Set Up to Fail Syndrome?

Set Up to Fail usually (but not always) happens when you join a new company or project, and you have a boss with whom you haven’t worked before. Initially, your relationship with your boss is positive or neutral, but as time progresses, something happens, and it starts to spiral downward. It reaches a point where revival is almost impossible, ending with either you getting out of the project or leaving the company. This situation is known as Set Up to Fail Syndrome.

The first time I heard about Set Up to Fail Syndrome was from a paper published way back in 1998 by Manzoni and Barsoux, where they explained this syndrome in detail. This is a self-fulfilling phenomenon where bad performance stems from the expectation of bad performance. Quite interesting. Let’s know in details how this happens: 

The Downward Spiral

Believe it or not, the set-up-to-fail syndrome can take root as early as when you have freshly joined the company. Here’s how it can manifest: 

1. The Start of the Relationship

When you join a new company or project, you naturally start on a positive or neutral note. But then, a small event occurs—a missed deadline or a report that doesn’t meet expectations. Because you are new to the organization or project, you may not be tuned to the ways of working at the new company. This minor incident causes your boss to perceive you as a low performer, and they start expecting consistent low performance from you.

2. Increased Supervision and Criticism

After this event, your boss increases supervision and becomes more critical of your activities and outputs. They may become formal and start giving you mundane, mechanical tasks, all while being very vocal about your supposed poor performance and the need for constant supervision. This situation can have a significant negative impact on the employee.

3. The Negative Impact

You start to feel that you are not up to the mark, and your confidence begins to wane. Over time, this lack of confidence affects your work across assignments, leading to a mental check-out from the project. You may even start avoiding your boss, fearing further criticism. In this setup, the boss may even exclude you from important meetings, creating a sort of trap where you have little chance of success.

What Are The Consequences?

As a consequence of this, most employees mentally check out. What happens when you do so?

• You stop caring about your job and the company
• Your work quality goes down, and you make more mistakes
• You don't put in effort and miss deadlines
• Your boss notices you're not engaged and may let you go
• It's hard to get back on track once you've mentally checked out
• You could lose your job if you keep up the bad attitude

When an employee mentally checks out, it becomes increasingly difficult to recover. At some point, the boss may decide that you no longer fit into the project or company, leading to your exit. This is a very dangerous situation and is extremely difficult to come back from.

Responding to the Situation

So, how should you respond if you find yourself in such a setup? Here are some tips that may help you evaluate and navigate the Set Up to Fail Syndrome:

• Recognise the Mindset: Accept that your boss may have a mindset that you are a low performer. This is a crucial first step.
• Seek Support: Talk to trusted colleagues who may have experienced similar situations with the boss. This will help you understand that the issue may not be with you but with the boss’s mindset.
• Open Communication: If you want to continue in the role, try to have an open conversation with your boss. Discuss what is not working and see if there is a way to rebuild trust.

A Word of Caution

While these steps might help, it is important to note that it is almost impossible to make a comeback from a Set Up to Fail Syndrome. It’s a very complicated situation, and developing the right perspective in your career can help you avoid spiraling into such a scenario.

Conclusion

In conclusion, maintaining a healthy relationship with your boss is critical. Be aware of the potential pitfalls of the Set Up to Fail Syndrome, and take proactive steps to ensure your career remains on the right track.

If you found this content valuable, please like, share, and subscribe. And if you have any specific topics you’d like me to cover, drop them in the comments. I’ll make a video and share it with you. Thank you so much for watching!