Corporate Paranoia

Paranoia according to dictionary is an extreme and unreasonable feeling that other people do not like or are going to harm you or criticize you. Essentially a false belief. Corporate ? While it is fashionable to use Corporate as an Adjective to almost anything, here it has been with a deliberate purpose. My context has been that the feeling of Paranoia has been clearly visible with my Corporate colleagues of late.

When my thoughts here are delivered to you, it should help create awareness about some behaviours that we all can watch out for, reason out, shunt some out. When we start relating to some instances, especially, the modern management lessons which have been evolving too fast and gaining mileage on the uncertainties of life. This is further accelerated by the fast-paced techno-socio-political environment. It is not sheer coincidence that many a behaviour match our situations. That should not raise panic in us. I am paranoid – is what I was told by a person most dear to me. Remember Alan Cummings’, ‘I am not my father’s son’, wherein he has in a smart way conquered ‘shame’. According to him, Life shouldn’t be wasted in shame. We must all treat it as Learning.  On the same lines, if we have any misgivings of the past, let’s just take it by our stride.

To begin with, whoever is resorting to falsehood of any form may be paranoid. Yes, falsehood is the first seed. It has a basis.  This seed is from paranoia.  Doubts about self causes doubts about the intentions of all others.  Perceptions about what the bosses, peers, and every other person – about us, will take overtures own career, and own survival in work life.  This occurs naturally and gets aggravated by the corporate truth – nobody has time for anybody but oneself in this whirlwind life.  Question everything – is the mantra of the new age managers.   Translated at the receiving end, suspect everybody.

You need to know how to differentiate falsehood. Understand, perceptions are always known to be ‘true’ and not ‘false’. Watch out for people who overstate capacities to their bosses and peers; and understate when it comes to their one-downs.  It is just the beginning. The same would get reversed when the paranoia peaks.  It would not just stop there, the subject would being abusive and even start reacting violently, can resort to physical harm too. All of these without the subject yet being aware of the flaw in oneself.  According to them, the whole world is conspiring against and creating a very uninhabitable workplace.  Little do we realize that we are so very engrossed in solving ones own  challenges, that we have very little energy or even scope to address problems.  Management theorists may preach a number of leader-like qualities which would need to be exhibited to prove ones actions to be well beyond ones own selfish motives.  As a rule, most of the times, there is no scope of work beyond the circle of self, which is also the only circle of influence. When this be so, all other fears of the paranoid are again, as described earlier, mere fears and feelings thereto.

First behaviour to watch for in a paranoid is a sense of depression.  Depression on account of not being able to meet ones own expectations in terms of physical and mental compatibility to the changing work environments. Depression on account of not meeting the objectives and targets defined at work. Clear indicators are frequent headaches, late arrivals and delayed departures, inexplicable illnesses, taking longer-breaks and absence from periodical meetings and updates.  Disregard for instructions, timelines, targets are all signs of serious depression. From being over-ambitious at one time, person degenerates to inferior standards of work.

Secondly, watch for arrogance. Begins with a very feeling of inferiority complex – which gets overly displayed as a fake superiority and in order to prove an absent skill, turns to arrogance.

Third and more importantly the fear or paranoia is clearly visible. Fear of confronting people in a business encounter. Carrying notions of victimisation. Theories that the whole of the organization is scheming against him/her. Everyone is conniving against in one way or the other. Little do they realise, nobody has time for anybody in this fast-paced world, not even to plant evil on someone. But yes, steal one another’s (intellectual) property isn’t shameful anymore, almost everyone does it. This is the most dreaded state of mind which affects the person, family and the work environment around.

Peers, subordinates and superiors must watch for such behaviours and instead of alarming them with judgements, face them with blatant facts. Any sympathy may instigate overtures and damage the person further. Emphatically reinforce the fact of the matters and help them see the world sans illusion.

Help them beat the corporate paranoia and perform their abilities for their own benefit and to that of the society. Empathise with them for the period till they see the truth through their own eyes.

Help the Truth to Prevail.