Detail Oriented
(Session 1)
Context:
Employers value employees who pay attention to detail because they are more accurate, make fewer mistakes, and are more likely to accomplish a task correctly the first time around. In general, those who are detail-oriented have a better understanding of the interworking of the department, project, and company objectives. Someone who is detail-oriented pays attention to even the smallest detail. Their thinking process is inherently thorough, and as a result, they tend to be highly accurate. In short, detail-oriented people are more successful in the workplace and life.
What it is: Self-efficacy is our belief in our abilities, particularly in facing challenges and successfully completing tasks. General self-efficacy is our overall belief in succeeding, and there are also more specific forms, such as academic, social interactions, or physical tasks.
In addition, Self-efficacy is the term that refers to a person's feeling that their thoughts and actions have an influence over a given outcome. Persons with a greater sense of self-efficacy are more inclined to succeed.
Why it’s important:
Employers understand that even the smallest mistakes or errors can cost the company millions of dollars. A single mistake can ruin a company’s or your reputation. Therefore Detail-oriented employees are more likely to identify and prevent errors, helping avoid costly mistakes in the long run.
Some researchers estimate that the percentage of jobs that require attention to detail is between 75 percent and 85 percent. Attention to detail is an important skill to have in nearly every job, as it is necessary to ensure accuracy and quality in the work that is being done. Since even minor errors can lead to significant problems, so it's crucial to hire someone who is thorough and ensures things are done correctly the first time.
As of today, “survey #19” about attention to detail at work has nearly 370 entries. While not a massive sample size, it is certainly large enough to generate some interesting insights.
These results do not take industry or age into account.
The top three reasons cited for mistakes:
Haste / being rushed
Lack of education or training on the task or matter at hand
Apathy
Can employees learn to be more detail-oriented?
81% of executives say “yes”, 17% say “not sure”, 2% say “no”
82% of managers (mid-level) say “yes”, 16% say “not sure”, 2% say “no”
Top four negative impacts of low attention to detail cited by executives:
27% say decreased product quality
19% say decreased productivity
13% say decreased employee morale
12% say decreased customer service quality
Top four negative impacts of low attention to detail cited by managers (mid-level):
28% say decreased productivity
26% say decreased product quality
16% say decreased customer service quality
13% say decreased employee morale
Self-Efficacy and Motivation: Understanding the Connection While self-efficacy and motivation are closely connected, they are distinct concepts. Self-efficacy is rooted in an individual's belief in their capacity to achieve, whereas motivation stems from the desire to achieve. Individuals with high self-efficacy often have high motivation and vice versa, but it's not guaranteed.
However, it's observed that when individuals build or maintain self-efficacy through even small successes, it usually boosts their motivation to continue learning and progressing (Mayer, 2010).
This relationship can create a success cycle. When individuals are highly motivated to learn and succeed, they are more likely to achieve their goals, contributing to an enhanced overall sense of self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy and resilience
While experiences of success certainly make up a large portion of self-efficacy development, there is also room for failure.
Those with a high level of self-efficacy are not only more likely to succeed, but they are also more likely to bounce back and recover from failure.
This is the ability at the heart of resilience, and it is greatly impacted by self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy and confidence
Finally, self-efficacy is also positively related to confidence, but they are not the same thing. Confidence is a word we use to talk about how strongly someone believes in themselves, but it doesn't tell us exactly what they're confident about. On the other hand, perceived self-efficacy is about believing in your own ability to achieve specific goals or levels of success.
Positive cycle:
Similar to how self-esteem and motivation can create a positive cycle, self-efficacy and confidence also work hand in hand. When a person is more confident in their abilities, they're more likely to succeed. This success then helps them build experiences that boost their self-efficacy.
What does it mean to have high self-efficacy?
It's pretty noticeable because people with high self-efficacy are usually the ones who achieve and succeed more frequently than others.
High self-efficacy can show itself through various traits and behaviors, such as:
A student who may not be naturally skilled in a subject but believes in her ability to learn it well.
A person who has faced challenges in relationships but maintains a positive outlook, confident in their ability to continue to connect and build the relationship.
A recent graduate taking on a job they have never done before but feels confident they can succeed.
An employee who offers an solution when faced with unexpected challenges, but isn’t disappointed if the solution doesn’t immediately work.
These examples illustrate high self-efficacy. Can you ind more specific instances by observing those around you? Pay attention to people with a strong sense of self-efficacy, notice their attitude and behavior when facing challenges, and you'll see real-life examples in action.
Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, and Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory.
Bandura [1] hypothesized that self-efficacy affects an individual's choice of activities, effort, and persistence. People who have low self-efficacy for accomplishing a specific task may avoid it, while those who believe they are capable are more likely to participate
social-cognitive psychologist who introduced the theory of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the term that refers to a person's feeling that their thoughts and actions have an influence over a given outcome. Persons with a greater sense of self-efficacy are more inclined to succeed.
Bandura's theory says that self-efficacy is all about what you believe you can achieve in the future. If you think you can control what happens in your life, you have high self-efficacy. On the flip side, if you feel like you have no say in what's coming and things just happen to you, that's low self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977).
Now, self-efficacy is about what you believe will happen in the future. Self-confidence, on the other hand, also looks at the future, but it's tied to our past experiences—what we've been through shapes how confident we feel.