Source: Ylanite Koppens / Pixabay

All organizations host a cast of characters, each unique in their humanity while also having common traits that make them recognizable in institutional cultures (Einarsen, 1999). As a workplace aggression researcher, over the past four years, I’ve collected stories from more than 200 people, ages 18 to 65, from 35 states and 10 countries and representing 36 different industries. Across the narratives, seven essential players emerged from the data; knowing who they are helps equip you with tools to navigate workplace dysfunction (Suskind, 2023).

The creative

Creatives see the world at an angle, embracing the ambiguities and contradictions contained in problems. Rather than being intimidated by the knot or seeking credit for untangling the snarl, the Creative is intrigued by the complexity of the challenge and promptly ditches the “we’ve always done it around here” mentality and gets down to the messy work of understanding it. Creatives are mission driven, intrinsically motivated and highly ethical (Babiak and Hare, 2007).

Therefore, it is not uncommon for advertisements to become whistleblowers when they stumble upon wrongdoing (Alford, 2001; Kenny, 2019).

While these are all admirable characteristics and sought after in innovative organizations that promote diverse voices, they can put you on the board in bureaucratic institutions with exclusive inner circles whose entry ticket is groupthink and compliance (Edmondson, 2018).

dragon

This fiery beast craves authority, praise and access. Although it does not necessarily possess a formal lead role, he uses gossip, gas lightingmanipulation and sabotage to purge the opposition and climb the road to the top (Martin, 2000). As power and recognition are the rewards he seeks, he carefully nurtures a persona of commitment and loyalty, while behind the scenes, his behaviors are condescending, unethical, and sometimes illegal. For Dragon, Creative is the ultimate kryptonite, so he uses Shapeshifters and Community Builders to eliminate competitionkeeping his claws clean.

Shapeshifters

Like dragons, shapeshifters crave influence and recognition, but lack it charisma to gain their power, so look for tails to pull them to the top. Sensing their desire and capitalizing on their vulnerabilities, Dragons create an inner circle, offering social influence and perceived prestige in exchange for following the group’s strict norms and doing the Dragon’s dirty work, which often includes instigating gossip campaigns to tarnish the Creator’s reputation ( D’Cruz et al., 2016; Mazzone et al., 2022).

Community builders

Community builders, like creators, are often hardworking and genuinely dedicated to the mission. However, their aversion to conflict and need to belong to the dominant group causes them to be willowy, bending to the whims of the crowd to avoid making waves (Mazzone et al., 2022). Preying on their insecurities, Dragon offers them a seat at the table in exchange for their loyalty. Therefore, when the Dragon and his Changelings target a Creative, the Community Builder is expected to join the gossip ring and freeze it out, even if the Creator and Creative were once good friends.

The creators in my studies revealed that the Dragon was not the source of their most significant pain because they always knew it could not be trusted. Instead, it was the betrayal and abandonment by the Community Builders—those they had helped, trusted, and considered friends—that caused the lasting wounds.

Confidents and Upstanders

Although the character assassination and targeted attacks inherent in workplace harassment often leave the Creative ostracized and alone, if she’s lucky, she finds a Confidant in the weeds of office life. That Confidant might be a Creative like herself, excited to take intellectual risks in an attempt to solve complicated problems, but that Confidant might also simply be a person who is grounded in her values ​​and firm in her worth , making her largely insensitive to the Dragon. Nonsense.

When the Creative is under attack, the Confidant serves as a sounding board, validating the Creative’s experiences, and sometimes steps into the Upstander role, pushing back against the Dragon’s false narratives. Participants in my study repeatedly said that having a single Confidant in the workplace provided the glue to keep them in the organization, as opposed to abandoning ship in search of a better cultural fit (Meyers et al., 2019).

Moreover, sometimes creators and confidants helped turn the cultural tide from the exclusion of small circles to the big tent and big membership.

Big and small figures

Most organizations are governed by a formal hierarchy, placing a Big Figure at the top of the tower and several Little Figures in the surrounding departments. Project figures are sometimes dragons who have achieved the ultimate takeover, but more often than not they are “yes” people who have carefully built alliances with influential players and stealthily maintained an image of care and conformity (D’ Cruz et al., 2018).

Such dedication to promotion leaves little time for expert work, so they use an inner circle to gather information instead of spending time in the field. Therefore, it is not uncommon for a Dragon to gravitate toward the group in which he exerts a deceptive influence. With a deep need for external approval, figureheads hesitate to offer original ideas and rarely stand up for employees who are being harassed or harmed because they fear the rocking of the boat could catapult them from the captain’s chair.

Leaders

Leaders are unicorns, brilliant to watch but rarely employed in organizations. Leaders are subject matter experts with a reputation for disruption. Their place at the table was secured by creative inventions and measurable results. To promote a culture of diversity and intellectuality taking risksthey dismantle hierarchy by inviting all players to speak (Hu et al., 2018).

For Creative, it’s refreshing to work for someone who builds their membership, promotes innovationand invites disagreement, considering critical conversations as essential elements for new growth (Sherman & Shavit, 2017).

When a leader restores civility and fair play by eliminating dysfunction, it’s not uncommon for Community Builders to join the good guys as they discover the personal empowerment inherent in authentic belonging. No longer able to manipulate circumstances and stretch reputations, Dragons and Shapeshifters voluntarily leave, are fired, or change their behavior to adapt to the new culture. The figureheads follow or are transferred from leadership roles, opening a space for creators to get to work (Feng et al., 2016).

Take away

Although in our daily dealings, it is wise resist labeling others; however, when it comes to dysfunctional and sometimes toxic work cultures, the impact can be dire, resulting in significant health consequences, both physical and emotional, as well as job loss (Hallberg & Strandmark, 2006; Namie, 2021). Identifying the characteristics of regular players can help us understand the intrigue of professional life, anticipate what different colleagues might do next, and remind us of the importance of seeking out allies who can help us on our journey – all while providing a strong love of surfing. challenging circumstances. Moreover, for Recreationists, recognizing certain people who might want to harm us allows us to avoid self-blame when attacked and gives us a clue to anticipate potential problems. In addition, it reminds us of the importance of forming a circle of innovative colleagues, both inside and outside our organization, who can help us navigate the rough parts, allowing us to feed our spirits and avoid isolation. Moreover, as our circle grows, we can work together to find unicorns who can lead our organization in new directions, or even better, become one.