What is Tall Poppy Syndrome and why does it affect women more?

THE “Great Poppy Syndrome”said “Tall Poppy syndrome” in English, was identified and popularized by our counterparts living on the Oceania side (Australia, New Zealand). In recent years, he has been gaining ground and making more and more people talk about him in the French press. What does it consist on ? It is enough to see the treatment reserved for poppies to understand what it is. In a field filled with these bright red flowers, visual harmony is in order: when a poppy rises too far above the others, its head is cut off so that it is level with them.

Transposed into the professional sphere, the phenomenon designates the fate reserved for employees who stand out too much from the collective ; whether in terms of skills, performance, investment or recognition. These employees, hard at work and gifted for the task, then take up too much space in the eyes of their colleagues. Rather than feeling admiration, the latter are invaded by jealousy which turns into a real will to harm. Social exclusion, criticism, false rumours, low blows, set traps: all shots are allowed to “cut off the heads” of these collaborators likely to be showered with flowers by their superiors.

The Great Poppy Syndrome is sexist: it mainly affects women

This syndrome mainly affects women: a study conducted by the author and researcher Rumeet Billan* on this subject shows that 87.3% of women surveyed have already been victims. According to scholars who have studied the issue, the syndrome is much less severe on the male side. But how to explain it? The Big Poppy Syndrome is actually just another way of discriminate against women in the professional world. Since in fact, it applies more to them, this implies that they are being blamed and thatthey are punished more for their “too big” ambitiontheir “too great” determination, their “too great” professional success… In this sense, the same study* shows that the second reason that drives individuals to perpetuate the syndrome is “sexism/gender stereotypes” (68.6 %).

A man who succeeds in his professional life is a respected, valued, ambitious, powerful, and intelligent man. A woman who grows professionallyis a woman judged, despised, careerist, opportunist and manipulative. Character traits seen as qualities in men are turned into faults in women.

Deeper effects on women’s career success

In the labor market, women are at a huge disadvantage compared to their male counterparts. They undergo a delay in all aspects of professional life : they receive a lower salary than men (it is lower by 24%**), very often for a position with equal responsibilities, skills and qualifications; they find it more difficult to climb the ladder etc. This quasi-systemic discrimination, built on years of patriarchy, is proving difficult to dismantle.

And the Great Poppy Syndrome does not help gender inequalities, quite the contrary! It digs them even deeper, due to the psychological consequences it has on the women who are victims of it. By dint of undergoing it, they end up internalizing this syndrome and developing self-sabotage strategies to protect themselves from the consequences. A little as if they were cutting off their poppy heads themselves; as if they were restraining themselves at all levels.

Women scuttle their professional lives

– In this sense, they are 60.3% to declare that the Big Poppy Syndrome caused them to minimizing, stifling and not sharing their successes and positive results at work. In doing so, since they do not promote their skills, people do not see their added value. They are also 48.9% no longer want to ask for a promotion and/or rise in the hierarchy following the experimentation of the syndrome.

– In addition, the Great Poppy Syndrome negatively impacts their productivity : they gradually disengage, are no longer as motivated as before (59.2%). Since they work less well, they have less chance of progressing in their careers.

– The syndrome also scratches their self esteem (64.7%). However, who says low self-esteem, says difficulties in believing in one’s abilities, propensity to underestimate one’s professional skills and reluctance to embark on professional projects that lead to progress. Not only is the entire system not on their side, but their own mindset now becomes their nemesis. In the same vein, the Grand Poppy syndrome can even turn into impostor syndrome… (56.7%)

All guilty of the Great Poppy Syndrome

Contrary to all the clichés conveyed by society, this syndrome is not only perpetrated by women towards other women. Misogynistic and sexist individuals, who would explain the execution of this syndrome by a alleged female rivalryare largely contradicted by statistics. In fact, many women and men alike subject their employees to this when they consider them to be too brilliant: 27.6% of female victims suffered the syndrome through a man, 31% suffered it from a colleague, 41.2% have experienced it because of individuals of both sexes.

The syndrome is all the more worrying in that it is not only perpetrated by employees with equal positions: managers, directors and CEOs are likely to inflict it on women who are too ambitious for their taste. Worse still, it can even transcend the borders of the professional to enter personal life: 43.9% of women victims of the syndrome have suffered it from their own friends… Women suffering from the syndrome of the Great Poppy have therefore find it more difficult than their peers to achieve full career fulfillment. A rather paradoxical phenomenon when you know that they are more efficient on all fronts.

Open-minded and in love with life, Emilie likes to decipher the new phenomena that shape society and relationships today. Her passion for the human being motivates her to write…