In hockey, a goalie who makes a spectacular save knows the thrill of victory, but a forward whose sure goal is blocked suffers the agony of defeat. Now consider the office, where the same kind of situation plays out every day.
When managers set out goals for their staff to reach, but find them blocked at every turn, this can lead to frustration and unhappiness and spread misery throughout the department.
For over a decade now, the concept of goal-blocking has been widely used in theories about destructive leadership. Often cited in the scientific literature, it hasn't been precisely defined or measured, however — until now.
At Université de Montréal, Vincent Roberge, a doctoral student in occupational psychology supervised by psychology professor Jean-Sébastien Boudrias, has tackled the subject.
Two distinct sources of blocks
According to Roberge, goal-blocking is defined as the perception managers have that something is preventing them from achieving their leadership goals.
“We’re not talking here about personal goals such as a promotion or a raise, but rather their organizational goals as leaders, such as achieving sales targets, developing their teams or positively influencing their employees,” Roberge explained.
He classifies goal-blocking into two categories: blocking by subordinates, where managers perceive that their employees are hindering the achievement of their goals, and blocking by the organization, where the company itself seems to be throwing up obstacles to the manager’s leadership targets.
This distinction is useful for understanding the different sources of blocks and their consequences. Managers who feel blocked by their team may react differently than those who see the organization as standing in their way.
