Theoretical Reflections on the Underutilization of Employee Talents in the Workplace and the Consequences

Abstract

This article describes “chronic relative underperformance” (CRU)—a special example of P-E misfit. It investigates literature on giftedness, underachievement, underemployment, workplace boredom, and boreout, and connects these to clinical psychological views on mentalization. The intent is to develop thoughts that are useful in the understanding of why some employees fail to thrive, even though they are performing seemingly well enough as regards to the targets of the employer, and offer a frame of reference that can lead to further understanding of this condition. CRU is an issue that is hardly described within the literature. Recognizing CRU in the workforce and taking steps to counter its effects may lead to a more efficient and elegant way to reach organizational, and personal, goals.