The Golem effect is intuitive.
If a supervisor or the individual themselves have lower expectations, then it leads to poorer performance by the individual.
It’s the Pygmalion effect that isn’t so obvious.
That if a supervisor or the individual themselves have higher expectations from themselves, it leads to higher performance by the individual.
We can understand how someone can lower their performance. But how can someone deliver higher performance? Isn’t there an upper limit to how much one can do?
Asking the question about the upper limit is precisely where the Pygmalion effect comes in. There is no upper limit. There are no limits.
Can you play that role for someone out there? When the entire world, including themselves, is bashing them up, can you act as the one who says, “I believe in you. Your capabilities. Your intent. Your potential.”
“And I know you will make it”
We don’t need 10,000 reasons why we will fail. We need the 1 reason why we will win!