One of the cardinal rules of doing successful job interviews is to refrain from maligning the previous employer(s). However, this often masks the painful impact of an old corporate idiom, i.e., Employees don’t quit working for companies; they quit working for their bosses.
There are countless heartrending stories of young professionals being stripped of their dignity and toiling long hours to please their superiors in the hope of making it to the next rung of the corporate ladder. The competition for scarce positions reaches a crescendo in precarious economic conditions and can turn cannibalistic to validate the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’. Unfortunately, this also becomes a fertile ground for an Organizational Pedophile who frequently masquerades as a ‘Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’…
This article provides an introduction of the term ‘Organizational Pedophile (O-PED)’ and some of its key characteristics. It also suggests nine ways, in which, junior professionals can safeguard their vulnerable careers against people exhibiting such traits.
Pedophile
Pedophile is a person afflicted with a psychiatric disorder, Pedophilia or Paedophilia, in terms of a medical diagnosis. It is found in persons 16 years of age or older, and is typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest toward prepubescent children (generally aged 11 years or younger, though specific diagnosis criteria for the disorder extends the cut-off point for prepubescence to age 13). An adolescent who is 16 years of age or older must be at least five years older than the prepubescent child before the attraction can be diagnosed as pedophilia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilia).
Organizational Pedophile
Organizational Pedophile (O-PED) is a person afflicted with a behavioral dysfunction that manifests in terms of intentional strategies/tactics to disrupt/degrade/denigrate/diminish/deteriorate the career of a junior professional, who is typically a direct report and seen as a possible/probable future threat to the position/status occupied by the tormentor. The respective Machiavellian behavior can be triggered due to inherent insecurities emanating from a lack of competencies/skills that are needed to survive in a changing business environment. One of the key divisive measures taken in the respective context by the O-PED is the virulent manipulation of information by deploying the FUD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt) tactic and embracing the ‘Divide and Rule’ principle.
Let’s compare some of the key elements of the two aforementioned terminologies to gain an understanding of the disturbing similarities and distinguishing attributes:
*http://crime.about.com/od/sex/p/pedophile.htm, **https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome
Nine Techniques for Preserving Vulnerable Careers
Following methods, singularly or in combination, can be utilized to effectively alleviate/nullify the detrimental tactics of an Organizational Pedophile (O-PED):
1. Build a Coalition of Peers
This refers to establishing a ‘wall of support’ among peers who can come to the rescue in terms of disseminating the truth about the difficult working conditions within their networks and providing the ‘strength in numbers’ for justifying a priority corrective action. They can also be ‘voices of reason’ and provide guidance/counsel in terms of tackling distressing issues before they become unbearable and lead to disastrous consequences.
2. Become Indispensable
This refers to portraying the best tenets of a devoted disciple by fulfilling the assigned job responsibilities diligently and not wavering in ‘going the extra mile’ for pleasing the insecure tyrant. It also entails the securing of ‘insurance’ against the tormentor that can be used as a shield against any unconventional inquiry/investigation/performance appraisal pompously launched on the pretext of exploring rumors/hearsay of incompetence to build the case for ruining the career of the talented victim.
3. Network with the Influential Functionaries/Passive Mentors
This refers to being on good terms with the people who wield one or more of the ‘five bases of power (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_and_Raven%27s_five_bases_of_power) within the organization and leveraging their influence as an ‘umbrella’ for steady career progression. It includes gaining indirect/direct introductions through the ‘coalition of peers’ and the willingness to ingratiate oneself with them. It also presents the opportunity of being ‘seen’ by the ‘right’ eyes and/or be ‘fortuitously photographed’ with them on ‘momentous’ occasions as a ‘passive deterrent’ against mischievous actions.
4. Maintain Composure Under Duress
This refers to the ability of sustaining a high Emotional Quotient (EQ) while working in an adverse work environment. It entails the curtailment of retaliatory reactions by channelizing negative energy productively in terms of stronger focus on work and stress-release leisure activities to avoid the pretext of getting marginalized on disciplinary issues.
5. Explore Alternative Career Options Regularly
This refers to minimizing the risk to career advancement by passively entering the job market and being open to exploring opportunities from progressive corporate entities. It includes developing cordial relationships with prominent headhunters/recruiters, active participation in professional conferences and ceaseless networking with peers in the targeted companies for opportunistic referrals.
6. Utilize Informal Channels for Safeguarding Reputation
This refers to utilizing the grapevine within the organization for knitting together undeniable facts about the struggles and challenges in ‘surviving’ the tormentor that can be conveyed to the ‘right’ ears through ‘sympathetic’ peers working in different functions. The respective information can be delivered in various ways, e.g., during the lunch break, social gatherings outside office, etc.
7. Avoid Giving Perceptible Signals of Career Aspirations
This refers to developing the ‘mirage’ of a mildly ambitious person who is not proactively seeking recognition and doesn’t radiate an overt threat to the O-PED, especially, in terms of ‘outshining’ him/her in front of a ‘discerning’ crowd. This includes ‘behavioral sensitization’, in speech/writing/posturing/action, to avoid triggering ‘throne preservation’ alarms for the tormentor.
8. Become Endearing to the Family of the Oppressor
This refers to developing close bonds with O-PED’s family as a ‘passive deterrent’ and ‘substantive homely coalition’ against his/her penchant for disrupting/degrading/denigrating/diminishing/deteriorating career progression of the hapless victim. It includes sharing the joys of their prominent milestones, e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, cultural/religious festivities, etc., and volunteering for ‘outside the job description’ services.
9. Increase Visibility/Goodwill by Volunteering in Corporate Social Events
This refers to ‘strategic projection’ during high profile occasions and vying for the ‘top of mind’ slot with the power brokers of the organization. It entails passionate participation in organizing celebratory events and being agile in doing ‘subtle’ networking. It includes embodying the cultural spirit that is espoused by the organization and displaying Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in establishing/developing robust links/allies across the corporate spectrum.
Food for Thought
The trials and tribulations of working in a particular organization will vary in each instance for junior talent. However, the ‘career preservation’ techniques provided earlier provide a significantly higher probability of success in trying circumstances by strategically leveraging human behavior. Generally, astute adopters/adapters and devoted practitioners of ‘organizational politics’ will be able to navigate the corporate labyrinth much more easily than their naive acquiescent peers.
Currently, specialist benchmarking organizations like Great Place to Work® (www.greatplacetowork.com) provide wonderful feedback in terms of determining the overall rank of an organization as the preferred place to initiate and/or progress a career. However, it would be interesting to see an online database of O-PEDS, similar in spirit to Megan’s Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan’s_Law), available for junior talent scouting for suitable organizations, and as a viable form of external pressure on ‘oblivious’ organizations to conduct ‘honest’ investigations for ‘cleansing’ corporate ranks before exit interviews and/or independent social media sites with mass following reveal the uncomfortable truth.
To the Unsuspecting Junior Talent: Beware of the Organizational Pedophile!
