In my November 11, 2006 post entitled "A Different Way of Looking at Workplace Goals", I suggested that "employees have an infinite set of personal psychological variables" and that this reality made it not only impossible to regulate behavior in the workplace, but also any attempts to regulate behavior without accommodating this reality diminish mental health rather than improve it. Let's take a closer look at this point.

There are ten personality types used in mental health. These are ten types of patterns of belief, behavior, and relationship patterns that can be assessed and observed ( I won't debate their usefulness in therapy). One type of personality prevalent in the workplace is the "Obsessive-Compulsive" personality. Let's take a closer look and then see how controlling behavior is used by and affects this type of person.

The childhood of a future compulsive personality type is generally characterized by parental overcontrol. The parents act with stern, cold formality and demand that the child perform tasks that are developmentally premature.  They demand total compliance and perfection.  Real achievements are taken for granted and there is little or no acknowledgement for legitimate achievement. The conflict is between the parent's need to control the child's behavior and the child's own need for autonomy.  Autonomy looses the battle. These children focus primarily on avoiding mistakes that previously angered their parents and trying hard to be good and right. This narrow span of demanded behavior is where parental approval lies. Any other behavior, especially spontaneous behavior and requests to fulfill needs, is avoided to prevent punishment, shame, and ridicule. The child internalizes this harsh parental pattern and finds security in flawlessness as a means of maintaining an existential sense of security--parental approval.   Because of the need to be right, they have a very difficult time making decisions and very often procrastinate for long periods of time ruminating the pros and cons of any decision. 

In the workplace, they are the "control freaks." They strive to complete tasks without flaws or errors. They have to be right. They have trouble delegating because no one else can do the task the right way. They are dedicated to work. They struggle with decisions and have a difficult time considering alternatives because of the need to make the right decisions. They are preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, and schedules. They are "my way or the highway" type of people. Their identity is embedded in their work; their work is a reflection of who they are. They insist that people do things the way they do. They are "black and whiters", you are either with them or against them. You are either on their list of acceptable people or off of it.

The compulsive personality type has a tough time getting their needs met. Their need for control in relationships cause others to defer to them and their rules, opinions, and judgments.  As a result, others avoid gestures toward them because they fear the choice will not be seen as the right thing to do. The compulsive personalty type tries to give and rarely gets anything back.

In the workplace regulated by behavioral rules, the compulsive personality type not only thrives, but also is the star of the organization. They find security in compliance. They work hard and dedicate themselves totally to the organization. As a result, they are promoted quickly. They know how to get the job done. They are totally dedicated to work. Unfortunately, they are excessively autocratic to those below them. It is "my way or the highway". Subordinates know not to cross them or display behavior that is not approved. They also know not to offer feedback that is not approved or contradicts their opinion or beliefs. As a result, everyone below the compulsive personality type supervisor becomes paralyzed. Subordinates learn only to do what they are told.

Compulsive personality types do not like feedback from below or above in the organization.  The primary reason is their identity is embedded in their work.  Any hint something might be off track or wrong means they are wrong, deficient.  They never do anything unless it is right anyway, so there must be something wrong with the messenger.  As one can guess, compulsive personality types work very well in autocratic organizations like the military, police, and organizations that require absolute compliance to rules like hospitals (more on how to make these strict organizations healthy in a later post).  They do not work well in organizations that require good teamwork, customer service, and flexible and adaptable processes. 

When trying to regulate behavior, the company runs into a number of problems with the compulsive personality type of employee or supervisor.  First, without knowing, they are recapitulating the employee/supervisor's parents demands.  A simple rule such as "there will be no personal use of the copiers" (more on how that announces mistrust in a later post) poses an existential restriction on their autonomy.  When they were a child, they couldn't go outside and play with the neighborhood kids because they had to take care of their younger brother and clean their room.  Now, these old feelings of frustration touch them again.  Unfortunately, the feeling is linked to the copier and the company, not their parents and they add this personal reaction to the long list of emotional workplace resentments and that resentment is spread to everyone on their "list."  If they are supervisors, they treat their subordinates just like they would their brother after being told they couldn't go out and play with their friends.  Second, each directive takes on a biblical role.  It is not just a rule to help organize behavior, it is gospel according to mom and dad.  Even thinking about breaking the rule causes anxiety with the compulsive personality type.  They don't want to be wrong or blamed by breaking it.  Third, they live by their own opinion of everything.  What they believe is the right way to do things.  When someone tries to regulate their behavior, they generally disagree with it.  This disagreement is also shared with those on their "list." 

This is just one of many personality types in the workplace.  You can see managing a top-down autocratic company with compulsive personality type employees causes increased mental health issues and stress.  Because of their personality structure they also restrict feedback, are intolerant of mistakes, cannot tolerate change, and spread resentment.  When you evaluate a compulsive personality employee, you had better give them an "outstanding" or else you will be subject to a long series of documented appeals until you see how "right" they are.  They do not view evaluations as differences in perspective, opportunities to grow, or an opportunity to fine-tune communication.  They didn't grow up that way. 

What is a better workplace culture for this type of employee?  A context that values respect-in-the-workplace more than rules.  Gradually, the compulsive personality type employee is respectfully confronted with the affects of their interpersonal patterns and receive the kind of acceptance they never had.  As they begin to get their needs met, they begin to see their issues more objectively and grow in a more interdependent context.  The compulsive personality type becomes one of the company's strongest assets.  They can sure get the job done when it is needed.  This strength never goes away and it is admired by other workers who rely on it in a team work culture.  Finally, the compulsive personality type employee gets what they have never had: they get to "play" with their friends in a context that values this commitment to cooperation more than the rules they really resent so much.