Cartels of Mediocrity
Social norms can create "cartels of mediocrity" where low performers enforce minimal standards, discouraging high achievers. Groups often unconsciously punish excellence to maintain cohesion, leading to a downward pull on performance. Recognizing these dynamics can help preserve individual motivation and high standards.
Background
- The article argues that in many tech workplaces, a "cartel of mediocrity" emerges: a social norm where competent people downplay their abilities to avoid making less productive colleagues feel bad, which in turn drags down overall performance and innovation.
- The term "low-doers" (coined by the author) refers to employees who contribute minimally but are protected by these social norms—criticism is seen as rude, so problems go unaddressed.
- The author draws on game theory and sociology to explain how these norms become self-reinforcing: once everyone agrees not to call out low performance, even motivated people stop trying because their extra effort is wasted or punished.
- This is a critique of "psychological safety" when taken too far—the idea that making everyone comfortable can backfire if it means tolerating poor work and silencing honest feedback.
- The piece is written by Taylor Wood, a software engineer and blogger known for skeptical takes on tech industry culture, particularly around productivity, hiring, and management orthodoxy.