Last year, one of the first articles I posted here on Paradigm Shifts was related to organizational defensive routines (you can read that article here for a definition of organizational defensive routines).
Organizational defensive routines are somewhat of a special case. While driving the vast majority of undercover workplace happenings, organizational defensive routines are those things we know we do, and we have reasons why we do them, but those reasons are undiscussable, and the fact that they're undiscussable is also undiscussable.
So, let's be rebels and discuss.
I'll write a two-part series: this week, we'll talk about connections between organizational narcissism (a documented phenomenon) and organizational defensive routines (ODRs). In the next edition, I'll talk about ODRs impact organizational learning and growth in organizations.
Organizational Narcissism
The common denominator in narcissistic organizations is the belief that they are something they are not. While a little organizational pride can be motivating for some, and is healthy in context, narcissistic organizations take this too far in believing that they are invincible. They tend to believe that they can do whatever they want with little or no consequences, they do not care about their employees or other stakeholders their actions impacts and they tend to overly focus on making sure their image is intact- without focusing any energy into actually becoming what they claim to be. They knowingly quote organizational values and mission statements, knowing that the actual organization functions in ways completely opposite of these values and statements (or at least falls way short). They exploit any- and everyone they can, live in denial of the truth, and will stop at nothing to protect that image they've developed of themselves.
Some research suggests that there are both healthy and unhealthy traits of narcissism in organizations. A future article can debate the existence of "healthy narcissistic traits", but for now, let's assume there are none, and that the impacts of organizational narcissism are typically negative- for leaders, employees, stakeholders, and customers. How does the concept of ODRs connect?
The Influence of ODRs
Given our above description, it may already be clear how ODRs influence and perpetuate the narcissistic organization.
If the protection of the company's image is of utmost importance, then the discussion of anything that threatens that illusion is undiscussable, and the protection of this organizational illusion also is undiscussable.
This of course leads to all kinds of fun (read: sarcasm), such as poor policies, discrimination, unethical practices, inefficiencies, organizational stagnation, poor employee morale, questionable hiring practices, and loss of competitive advantages (among other things). We avoid saying what we mean, we avoid discussing and resolving obvious problems or, we come up with surface level, "comfortable" solutions to avoid dealing with the real issue (organizational incompetence) and protect our sense of purpose and self-worth in the process. Leadership focuses on sounding good, saying the right words to keep us hooked in just enough, while also to some degree believing in the illusion.
Doesn't this sound similar to an abusive personal relationship? Of course, because at the deepest of levels, it is.
ODRs for many happen subconsciously, in response to an organizational system we have all been socialized to believe is the way things should be. Our behavior tends to follow the design of the systems we're part of, which means our behavior simply becomes reactive (as opposed to responsive) to what is happening around us. We then call these behaviors norms, or necessary evils, or other phrases to justify to ourselves why we continue to participate in behaviors that are ultimately unproductive. We become codependent on the narcissistic organization (for income, prestige, sense of purpose, etc.) and willingly do what we can to keep it (the organization) happy and functioning, even if that means maintaining facades, being stressed out, unhappy, and working at best at mediocre levels to maintain status quo. I'm sure very few people have described organizational life quite in this way- because all of this is ultimately undiscussable.
Disclaimer: I'm not saying all organizations are like this, only those that function as narcissistic. Although, to a degree, many organizations are designed to function in ways that best benefit the company (versus the employees or customers) and ODRs exist on some levels in most, if not all, organizations. So, even if you are lucky and work for a truly great, fair and healthy organization, you too may participate in ODRs. They are staples in American society.
What Do We Do?
Great question.
In peeling away the organization's false image, we need to learn to become comfortable having conversations like this one within our teams. At the highest levels, leadership will need to determine if being authentic is more important than short-term benefit, and if they are willing to invest the time and resources into creating an organization that really lives up to its hype- versus maintaining an image. Employees will need to weigh the pros and cons of speaking up and out about their experiences, sharing their knowledge and challenging the status quo.
Organizational development strategies can help an organization get to the heart of the how and why they function and can help identify ODRs that are preventing them from truly reaching their potential. When organizations (and the people in them) get stuck in status quo and ODRs, only an illusion exists.
Is it best to leave the illusion intact to maintain a false level of comfort?
If you answered yes to the above question, are the results worth it?
Resources to learn more:
Hi! I'm Nicole, an organizational consultant and personal coach, who is passionate about inspiring the changes our society needs for all to thrive. Using lessons learned from my own experiences and challenges, I hope to help people within organizations by creating mentally, socially, and emotionally healthy workplaces for all. Check out the other resources on this site for more ways to do just that!
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