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An interview with Dr. Eli Sopow about
Corporate Personality Disorder
Corporate Personality Disorder
What do you mean by a "sick organization?"
ES. You've heard of "sick building syndrome" where noxious and toxic elements in a building's
physical structure can lead to illnesses in people - sometimes quite severe. Well, the organizational
structure of a place can also result in exactly the same physical and mental illnesses. Organizations
that have rigid command and control structures, that ignore the vital emotional needs of employees,
and that don't bother to recognize or acknowledge employee contributions, have what I call "sick
system syndrome." These places literally make people sick and tired by how they treat them.
You say that organizations have a "personality" like people. How can that
be? Organizations are not human, they're places.
ES. Think of any corporation or institution you know. The federal tax department - what human
personality trait would you give that place? I bet it wasn't "warm and cuddly." We automatically think of
organizations in human terms, and that's why corporations spend billions of dollars on what's called
"branding." They want to dress themselves up in slick PR and marketing to leave the best impression
on you possible, thereby enticing you to buy more or use their services more. The reality is that every
organization has a public personality and a hidden personality. The public face is the slick, best
Sunday-clothes one. The hidden personality is what really makes the organization tick. And in most
cases, the hidden personality is driven by a long history of in-the-box thinking, tight rules, and tight
control.
Your book re-states what's been known for a long time - that there's a
great deal of workplace stress in society today. Isn't such stress just a
symptom of rapidly-changing times and faster than ever
communications?
ES. There nothing "just" about it. "Just" is a dismissive term that means "suck it up and get on it with
it, you're the problem, not the system." What my book strongly emphasizes is that the structure and
behavior of organizations has for centuries convinced us that how places are designed, operate, and
led - from education systems and health care to corporations and the military - is the "right" way, and
if we feel bummed out and stressed out - then we're the problem not the system. We've been
brainwashed into not rocking the boat, into not fighting city hall, into not asking why or why not. The
reality is that we are just fine - it's the system structure in many cases that's got a real problem. It's
the system structure that has trouble with change, with listening, and with being attuned to emotions.
What's "corporate personality disorder?" This sounds like another buzz
word from academia or management.
ES. A "personality disorder" is a clinically recognized condition in humans that's well defined and
documented in medical literature and psychiatric journals. The definition, which generally includes
symptoms like not getting along well with others, with being aggressive, and having very poor
communication skills, is exactly how organizations behave when they treat people badly, make them
psychologically and physically unwell, and have major communication problems. And so I've labeled
this organizational condition "corporate personality disorder." If companies and organizations can
spend billions on branding themselves with all manner of positive human traits in order to create a
positive image for consumers and voters, then it's also time to label their less than healthy behavior.
Can you name some examples of corporate personality disorder?
ES. That's the easy part. Just pick up the morning newspaper and check out what corporation has
recently ripped off pensioners and investors of their life savings, what institution has so tangled
people up in red-tape that they literally feel like they're dying of tension, and what institution has
instituted so many stupid rules and regulations that it's now impossible for you to get a straight
answer to anything. I know of people who have died waiting for a hospital bed, who have killed
colleagues and themselves after years of being treated like a useless cog in a wheel, who have
committed suicide because bureaucrats refuse to hear their case, and we all know about the scandal
of the federal agency FEMA and Hurricane Katrina.
Do you have any positive examples of organizations who are healthy?
ES. The healthiest organizations (like people) are often the youngest ones. They don't have a long
organizational family history of command and control structures and conservative attitudes about
what employees can and can't do. They also embrace change as a healthy and inevitable part of life,
and are quick to try new things and hear new ideas. The technology sector is a good example of such
adaptability. But there are also healthy older institutions and corporations. These are the ones who
really believe in corporate social responsibility and don't use the phrase as the latest PR branding.
These are companies, that through their leadership, strongly believe in understanding human
emotional needs, in the validity of all voices, and in admitting that they indeed can be wrong! In my
own experience, I've seen this healthy presence in organizations as diverse as Starbucks Coffee
Company and Greenpeace.
You write that many protest actions, ranging from consumer boycotts to
social and environmental protests, are caused by a natural need for
humans to resist threats to their being and to the planet's health. What do
you mean by that?
ES. If you're walking down a path in the woods and see what looks like a snake you immediately
recoil, your pulse beats faster, and your body's survival instinct automatically kick in within a split
second. Our brain's basic survival wiring is deep in an area called the limbic region, specifically within
an almond-shaped area called the amygdala. To our primitive brain region, a threat is a threat -
whether it's an actual coiled snake or a mean snake of a boss, or the threatening behavior of a
corporation. It is perfectly natural for us to fight, freeze, or flee when facing an attack by a corporate
personality. Usually in the past, people froze or fled. They either kept their mouth shut and their eyes
averted, or - if they could - they quit. Today more people than ever are listening to the alarm bells
going off in their brain and fighting back. They have come to realize they are not the problem - it's the
organization.
Is there a solution to corporate personality disorder? Can an
organizational really change who or what it is?
ES. Absolutely! And that's why my book offers hope to those interested in both surviving and saving
sick organizations. In counseling, a technique is often used called cognitive restructuring therapy.
Simply put, it's a process of getting people to "re-wire" their brain by looking at situations in a far
more positive and productive light, to eventually replace the old frames and way of seeing the world.
The same is possible for organizations. It means moving away from the old Industrial Age model of
managing people, where folks are treated like cogs on a wheel. It means looking at organizational life
in a more organic manner, adopting the lessons from nature where communications, connectivity to
others, and cooperation is vital for survival and adaptability.
I call this process bioleadership in my book and above all, it involves looking at our own behavior and
seeing ourselves at a deeper level of understanding. It can be a frightening process at first because
it means breaking away from a very unhealthy co-dependency with sick organizations. But in the end,
not only do we feel healthier and freer, but the organization itself is a far more healthier - and yes -
far more productive place.
ES. You've heard of "sick building syndrome" where noxious and toxic elements in a building's
physical structure can lead to illnesses in people - sometimes quite severe. Well, the organizational
structure of a place can also result in exactly the same physical and mental illnesses. Organizations
that have rigid command and control structures, that ignore the vital emotional needs of employees,
and that don't bother to recognize or acknowledge employee contributions, have what I call "sick
system syndrome." These places literally make people sick and tired by how they treat them.
You say that organizations have a "personality" like people. How can that
be? Organizations are not human, they're places.
ES. Think of any corporation or institution you know. The federal tax department - what human
personality trait would you give that place? I bet it wasn't "warm and cuddly." We automatically think of
organizations in human terms, and that's why corporations spend billions of dollars on what's called
"branding." They want to dress themselves up in slick PR and marketing to leave the best impression
on you possible, thereby enticing you to buy more or use their services more. The reality is that every
organization has a public personality and a hidden personality. The public face is the slick, best
Sunday-clothes one. The hidden personality is what really makes the organization tick. And in most
cases, the hidden personality is driven by a long history of in-the-box thinking, tight rules, and tight
control.
Your book re-states what's been known for a long time - that there's a
great deal of workplace stress in society today. Isn't such stress just a
symptom of rapidly-changing times and faster than ever
communications?
ES. There nothing "just" about it. "Just" is a dismissive term that means "suck it up and get on it with
it, you're the problem, not the system." What my book strongly emphasizes is that the structure and
behavior of organizations has for centuries convinced us that how places are designed, operate, and
led - from education systems and health care to corporations and the military - is the "right" way, and
if we feel bummed out and stressed out - then we're the problem not the system. We've been
brainwashed into not rocking the boat, into not fighting city hall, into not asking why or why not. The
reality is that we are just fine - it's the system structure in many cases that's got a real problem. It's
the system structure that has trouble with change, with listening, and with being attuned to emotions.
What's "corporate personality disorder?" This sounds like another buzz
word from academia or management.
ES. A "personality disorder" is a clinically recognized condition in humans that's well defined and
documented in medical literature and psychiatric journals. The definition, which generally includes
symptoms like not getting along well with others, with being aggressive, and having very poor
communication skills, is exactly how organizations behave when they treat people badly, make them
psychologically and physically unwell, and have major communication problems. And so I've labeled
this organizational condition "corporate personality disorder." If companies and organizations can
spend billions on branding themselves with all manner of positive human traits in order to create a
positive image for consumers and voters, then it's also time to label their less than healthy behavior.
Can you name some examples of corporate personality disorder?
ES. That's the easy part. Just pick up the morning newspaper and check out what corporation has
recently ripped off pensioners and investors of their life savings, what institution has so tangled
people up in red-tape that they literally feel like they're dying of tension, and what institution has
instituted so many stupid rules and regulations that it's now impossible for you to get a straight
answer to anything. I know of people who have died waiting for a hospital bed, who have killed
colleagues and themselves after years of being treated like a useless cog in a wheel, who have
committed suicide because bureaucrats refuse to hear their case, and we all know about the scandal
of the federal agency FEMA and Hurricane Katrina.
Do you have any positive examples of organizations who are healthy?
ES. The healthiest organizations (like people) are often the youngest ones. They don't have a long
organizational family history of command and control structures and conservative attitudes about
what employees can and can't do. They also embrace change as a healthy and inevitable part of life,
and are quick to try new things and hear new ideas. The technology sector is a good example of such
adaptability. But there are also healthy older institutions and corporations. These are the ones who
really believe in corporate social responsibility and don't use the phrase as the latest PR branding.
These are companies, that through their leadership, strongly believe in understanding human
emotional needs, in the validity of all voices, and in admitting that they indeed can be wrong! In my
own experience, I've seen this healthy presence in organizations as diverse as Starbucks Coffee
Company and Greenpeace.
You write that many protest actions, ranging from consumer boycotts to
social and environmental protests, are caused by a natural need for
humans to resist threats to their being and to the planet's health. What do
you mean by that?
ES. If you're walking down a path in the woods and see what looks like a snake you immediately
recoil, your pulse beats faster, and your body's survival instinct automatically kick in within a split
second. Our brain's basic survival wiring is deep in an area called the limbic region, specifically within
an almond-shaped area called the amygdala. To our primitive brain region, a threat is a threat -
whether it's an actual coiled snake or a mean snake of a boss, or the threatening behavior of a
corporation. It is perfectly natural for us to fight, freeze, or flee when facing an attack by a corporate
personality. Usually in the past, people froze or fled. They either kept their mouth shut and their eyes
averted, or - if they could - they quit. Today more people than ever are listening to the alarm bells
going off in their brain and fighting back. They have come to realize they are not the problem - it's the
organization.
Is there a solution to corporate personality disorder? Can an
organizational really change who or what it is?
ES. Absolutely! And that's why my book offers hope to those interested in both surviving and saving
sick organizations. In counseling, a technique is often used called cognitive restructuring therapy.
Simply put, it's a process of getting people to "re-wire" their brain by looking at situations in a far
more positive and productive light, to eventually replace the old frames and way of seeing the world.
The same is possible for organizations. It means moving away from the old Industrial Age model of
managing people, where folks are treated like cogs on a wheel. It means looking at organizational life
in a more organic manner, adopting the lessons from nature where communications, connectivity to
others, and cooperation is vital for survival and adaptability.
I call this process bioleadership in my book and above all, it involves looking at our own behavior and
seeing ourselves at a deeper level of understanding. It can be a frightening process at first because
it means breaking away from a very unhealthy co-dependency with sick organizations. But in the end,
not only do we feel healthier and freer, but the organization itself is a far more healthier - and yes -
far more productive place.