The Hidden Power of Peer Politeness

I would have thought that employees’ communications would show more deference to their superiors but the stats tell a different story.  In a yearlong review of email exchanges among employees, peers and supervisors, researchers found that “linguistic markers that convey a willingness to yield to another’s preferences or opinions as a sign of respect or reverence”[i] are more common in peer to peer communications.  It appears that maintaining status among peers is actually more important than the status conveyed by our superiors.

This is the essence of the design behind Peer Powered Performance.  Lasting transformation in complex systems cannot come from the top down or the outside in, but from the inside out.  It is not our leaders but those sharing the journey with us that have the most influence on our behavior.  The key to unlocking this Powerful-Peer-Pull is eliminating the barriers to open communication while encouraging innovative experimentation.  Change dictated from above is always resisted while it is apparent from this study that we are more willing to accept ideas when they are expressed by our peers.