Managing cognitive dissonance effectively in the workplace

Cognitive dissonance rarely comes into focus in the workplace, yet a drop in productivity, or the failure of some business-development project, can often be traced back to it. These “failures” are usually associated with the inadequate handling of change management, while forgetting that often the problem for employees is not stepping out of their comfort zone, but the cognitive dissonance they experience.

What exactly is cognitive dissonance?

According to Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive discomfort, when people encounter belief systems, attitudes or behaviours that contradict their own perception, they experience psychological discomfort. This drives people to create inner balance and consistency, which spurs them to change, to act, or to rationalise their decisions. As a result, the sabotage of workplace changes, and even resignation, often occurs.

These are the signs of cognitive dissonance

The signs of cognitive dissonance can be observed in human behaviour and in psychological reactions. Recognising the signs can help identify contradictions and offers an opportunity to resolve the dissonance. Such signs may include:

• Increasing stress, anxiety or inner tension.
• Avoidance behaviour, for example avoiding conversations or situations that challenge contradictory belief systems.
• Rationalisation or justification to explain or downplay the contradictions between attitudes and actions.
• Selective uptake of information, when data supporting one's beliefs is favoured while contradictory evidence is avoided.
• Seeking common ground or compromise in order to reduce the discrepancies between beliefs.
• Defensive reactions when confronted with opposing views.
• Difficulties in decision-making due to contradictory thoughts.

The workplace effects of cognitive dissonance

In the workplace we most often face the problem of cognitive dissonance when our already accustomed working conditions change. This can stem from a lack of digitalisation - when, say, a Generation Z employee does not understand why tasks have to be done on paper that could already be handled much faster and more easily digitally - or when a long-serving employee does not understand why the company's profile or mission is changing. But let's see what effects cognitive dissonance can have in the workplace.

1. Reduced productivity

Employees struggling with cognitive dissonance often continuously replay situations in their minds. This is how they try to make sense of the contradictory information or feelings they face. This mental preoccupation often diverts their attention from their tasks. As a result, they find it harder to concentrate on their duties, which can lead to mistakes, missed deadlines, and even workplace accidents. Moreover, over time the cumulative effect of these disruptions can result in a significant decline in the quality and quantity of their work.

2. Lower level of satisfaction

Workplace satisfaction is closely linked to how well the alignment between an employee's value system and their professional environment holds together. When cognitive dissonance arises because the employee feels that the workplace demands compromises against their deeply rooted convictions or values, it breaks that alignment. At such times the employee begins to feel that they are not really part of the organisation, or that their contributions have no value. This gap can breed disillusionment and resentment towards the organisation, coupled with a decline in satisfaction.

3. Increased turnover

Continuous cognitive dissonance cannot be sustained in the long run. Employees who regularly find themselves in situations that challenge their fundamental convictions will sooner or later look for new job opportunities. Increased turnover rates can be costly for companies. In addition to the direct costs, such as recruitment and training, losing a worker also has indirect costs. Disrupted team dynamics, the team morale left behind, and of course the loss of the knowledge embodied by the person of the worker are all costs for companies. That is why cognitive dissonance in employees must be identified in time, and efforts must be made to resolve it.

4. Limited, weak decision-making ability

Ideally, decision-making combines logical analysis with intuitive judgement. However, if an employee experiences cognitive dissonance, their perceptions can become dulled. Instead of basing their decisions on clear, objective data, they may make decisions with which they try to alleviate or reconcile their inner contradiction.

For example, it may happen that an employee does not take a certain step, even if that step is correct, because it reminds them of a past mistake and they want to avoid reliving the failure. This, however, can lead to decisions that diverge from the organisation's interests.

5. Communication disruptions

The basis of effective workplace dynamics is open and transparent communication. However, if someone experiences cognitive dissonance, they may be inclined to withhold certain information, or to avoid certain discussions, in order to avoid further discomfort. They may avoid the topics that cause discomfort, or skip conversations with those they consider the source of the discomfort. This avoidance can erect significant communication barriers, which can result in misunderstandings, missed opportunities for collaboration, and a general decline in team performance.

6. Cognitive dissonance also lowers morale

Workplace morale determines the mood of the whole team and is shaped by employee experiences, observations, and the relationships between colleagues. If coworkers see or experience others struggling with cognitive dissonance, this generally leads to a dispiriting atmosphere. This situation often highlights just how large the difference is between individual values and organisational expectations.

If this problem is not addressed, or becomes widespread, it can cause employees' disillusionment. As more and more people feel this tension, so the general atmosphere of the workplace deteriorates too, which can have a negative effect on motivation.

7. It can give rise to ethical dilemmas

An essential part of workplace cognitive dissonance is when employees feel that the company's expectations conflict with their values or ethical standards. As a result, some make decisions that they would otherwise condemn, but they feel they have no other choice. Examples include manipulating data, disregarding safety regulations, or accepting unfair practices. When employees face such a situation, they try to reconcile the workplace's demands with their personal moral principles, even if it is hard for them and they know they are acting wrongly. This, however, not only endangers the company's ethical foundations, but can also entail serious legal or financial consequences for the employee as well.

8. Increased stress and burnout

The feeling of cognitive dissonance is like a constant argument going on in one's head, where reconciling the contradictory thoughts or actions is a constant struggle. This is especially true if someone works in a challenging work environment. Over time, this continuous inner conflict increases stress. If it persists for a long time, physical and emotional exhaustion - often called burnout - can set in. Employees may experience symptoms such as constant fatigue, irritability, or reduced work performance, but in more serious cases even physical illnesses can occur.

9. Resistance to change

Companies have to develop and change continuously in order to keep pace with competitors and with market-economic and technological changes. However, if the changes proposed by management contradict employees' convictions and belief systems, it can cause some cognitive dissonance. Whether it is about changing corporate values, reorganising teams, or introducing new processes and tools, employees may show resistance if they feel that these changes are not in line with their current notions or their previous experiences. As I have already noted above, this resistance often stems not only from a lack of acceptance of new things or from being forced to step out of the comfort zone, but also from a defence mechanism against the unpleasant feeling caused by cognitive dissonance. This can increase the length of the transition (changeover) period, reduce efficiency, and even open resistance to the new change is not rare. As a consequence of sabotage, it may also happen that the change - say, the digital transformation - cannot be carried through in every area.

10. Weakened team cohesion

If team cohesion weakens, team trust is also shaken by it, and this can negatively affect the team's communication as well as its harmony. Moreover, when cognitive dissonance becomes a shared problem due to contradictory managerial instructions or team members' differing convictions, friction can also arise. They are less inclined to cooperate and take up a defensive position. This can lead to misunderstandings and to more serious conflicts that make effective joint work impossible.

This is how workplace cognitive dissonance can be managed

Now that you know what a negative effect cognitive dissonance has on the company's performance and results, you are surely also interested in how you can manage it effectively. Of course, I will give you tips on this too.

1. Self-awareness and reflection

Encourage employees to develop strong self-awareness and self-observation. As the first step to effectively managing cognitive dissonance, we must be able to recognise when we are experiencing cognitive dissonance. Periodic reflection can help identify the sources of the contradiction, and thus we can also manage them.

2. Open communication 

Strive to create a company culture in which employees feel safe and can boldly express their feelings and concerns. This can happen through regularly asking for feedback, such as a short pulse survey. But the difficulties an individual employee is struggling with can also be talked through during team meetings or one-on-one discussions.

3. Training and workshops

To manage cognitive dissonance effectively, you can even provide workshops and training for colleagues that focus specifically on a given contradiction. This helps resolve the dissonance and also develops skills that help in coping with inner contradictions. In addition, at such workshops employees can acquire practices and strategies that help them navigate situations where they experience workplace conflicts. It is worth writing down the tricks for managing cognitive dissonance and making them available to everyone in the company knowledge base. That way they will always be on hand for everyone, even after the workshop.

4. Regular and consistent communication

Regular and consistent internal corporate communication should ensure that the company's values, goals and measures are aligned, and that every employee is continuously informed of this. As a result, everyone knows what to expect and where the company is heading. No one is struck by a change like a bolt from the blue. Moreover, if everyone learns the news from the source, rather than having heard it from someone else, the communication disruption that is in many cases the source of workplace cognitive dissonance can be reduced. That is also why it is worth using an internal communication tool that even those blue-collar workers who do not have a company email address and/or company communication devices can join. For them, communicating via CHEQ can be an ideal solution.

5. Clear justification

This is essentially also part of communication. Whenever a decision is made in the company that may give rise to cognitive dissonance, it is always necessary to justify clearly what lies behind the decision. Understanding the reasons behind decisions can help employees manage their emotions and accept the decisions, thereby also reducing the contradiction between the two. 

6. Flexibility and autonomy

No one likes being micromanaged and having to ask permission or submit a justification for every little thing. In principle they were hired because they proved suitable for carrying out the tasks. So why not give them some independence in performing their duties? Independent work allows employees to align their work processes with their personal convictions and values, thereby reducing potential conflicts. However I look at it, for smaller, routine tasks it is worth leaving it to the employees how they carry out their work.

7. Ask for feedback

Regularly ask for feedback on company policies, the culture, and other aspects of the workplace. This helps identify the areas that cause cognitive dissonance, and shows employees that their feelings and wellbeing are valued. In this regard you can also use flash pulse surveys, as I have recommended before, but it is also worth conducting a more thorough assessment once a year during the employee satisfaction survey.

8. Provide counselling or EAP services 

For larger, multinational companies, where they can provide a financial framework for it, it may be worth introducing access to counselling or employee assistance programmes (EAP). This can provide a safe framework for employees where they can discuss their feelings and receive professional guidance.

9. Review and adjustment

Management should proactively review organisational processes, communication methods, and other aspects of the workplace that can become sources of cognitive dissonance. By adjusting on the basis of feedback and observations, many problems can be prevented. In this regard, it may be worth asking employees, in a company announcement, to submit their opinions about the company anonymously, their concerns regarding the new methods, or their suggestions on which areas should be improved, or perhaps what they feel is missing when changes are communicated. The CHEQ interface also provides an opportunity for all of this, thereby likewise contributing to reducing workplace cognitive dissonance. If you would like to learn more about CHEQ, then request a free demo!