Don’t Be A Crab: How Crab Mentality Impacts Individuals and Organizations
Crab Mentality or Crab Behavior is a mindset and behavioral bias in which people feel threatened or insecure by the success of others. They actively pull others down in order to alleviate the threat of insecurity. This is often illustrated or represented by a bucket of crabs: If one crab tries to escape the bucket, the others pull it down.
Crab mentality can be seen in many different areas of life, from the workplace communities to personal relationships. It can be very damaging to the targeted individual, the perpetrator and the overall organization.
Specific examples of how crab mentality can manifest in the workplace:
- A manager may take credit for the work of their team members.
- A coworker may undermine another coworker by spreading rumors or gossip.
- A coworker or boss may downplay/dismiss an achievement or even belittle the achiever.
- A team may sabotage the work of another team.
- An employee may refuse to help or even sabotage a coworker because they don’t want them to succeed.
- A group of employees may exclude another employee from social events, meetings, or conversations.
- An employee might exhibit microaggressive behaviors that are slight in nature but display a hostile, derogatory or negative attitude.
How to Avoid Being a Perpetrator
Even the best of us can be perpetrators, but there are things you can do to avoid it:
- Be aware when you are comparing yourself to others. Crab mentality often comes from a place of insecurity. If you find that you are comparing yourself, take a step back and ask yourself why you may be negatively judging your own abilities or accomplishments.
- Celebrate the success of others. When someone else succeeds, take the time to celebrate with them and be genuinely happy. Remember that their success does not take away from your own.
- Be supportive of others, whether they are experiencing struggle or success. Help your peers and colleagues achieve their goals. Offering support and mentorship can be fulfilling and remember that nothing is achieved alone; it takes a village to accomplish great things.
How to Personally Respond to This Negative Behavior
If you are the target of crab behavior, there are a few things you can do:
- Realize it’s about someone else’s insecurity, not your own. Perpetrators are operating from a personally insecure mindset.
- Set boundaries. If someone is constantly trying to pull you down, set boundaries with them. Let them know that you won’t tolerate their negative behavior and that you won’t engage with them.
- Seek support from others. Talk to a trusted confidant or therapist about what you are experiencing. They can offer you encouragement.
- Surround yourself with positive people. Spend time with others that make you feel good about yourself, celebrate your successes, and encourage positive internal self-talk.
Negative Effects on Organizational Culture
- Reduced productivity and innovation: When employees are constantly competing with each other and trying to pull each other down, it creates a toxic environment in which employees are less likely to be productive, innovative or collaborative.
- Increased turnover: Employees who feel undervalued and unsupported are more likely to leave their positions or roles in the organization. A high turnover rate can be costly, both in terms of time and recruitment/training expenses.
- Damaged morale and employee disengagement: Crab mentality can create a negative and demoralizing environment. Employees who feel like they are being undermined are less likely to be engaged and motivated in their work.
- Decreased performance: When employees feel threatened, the fight or flight response takes over, hindering access to the prefrontal cortex, the executive decision-making part of the brain. As a result, employee performance is not optimal.
- Poor decision-making and conflicting interests: When employee goals are based on competition rather than working together, it can lead to poor decision-making. Employees may prioritize decisions that benefit themselves individually over the best interests of the company.
If you are a leader in an organization, it is important to be aware of crab mentality and take steps to prevent it from happening. Here are a few tips:
- Create a culture of collaboration, support and mentorship. Encourage employees to work together toward common goals, set up a mentorship program, or create frameworks/mechanisms for employee support.
- Recognize and reward individual and team accomplishments. This will show employees that their work is appreciated and that they are valued.
- Address crab behavior immediately with a transparent and zero tolerance policy. If you see or hear about someone exhibiting bad behavior, talk to them about it. Let them know that the behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
- Create a safe space for employees to speak up. Actively seek out feedback from employees at all levels. Employees should feel comfortable coming to you with concerns about crab mentality or other problems in the workplace.
By taking these steps, you can create a more positive and productive community for everyone.
Remember, you cannot control the behavior of others, but you can control your reaction. Focus on your own goals and dreams. Don’t let perpetrators distract you. Crab mentality is a toxic mindset that can be very damaging. If you are aware of it, you can take steps to avoid being a perpetrator or a victim.
Relevant Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_mentality
https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/tp-whitepaper.pdf