Moving away from isolation

I saw this plaque while visiting the gift shop at Portland Bill Lighthouse last weekend…

When we consider organisational life, is there always “one”? No, I suspect that most of the time there will be more than “one”…but the others opt to maintain silence and to go with the flow due to the oppressive socio-economic context in which they find themselves.

By jokingly declaring that “There’s always one”, we isolate that individual and problematise them. And, in so doing, we reinforce the message to others that they should keep quiet and avoid standing out, in order to avoid being the “one”.

Regardless of precisely what the “one” might be saying or doing, our labelling of them in this way denies any value that might flow from their choice to speak up and do things differently.

Culturally, taking this viewpoint and articulating it to others dampens down dialogue in your organisation. Labelling the “one” – a classic instance of the Foucauldian notion of power where our categorisation of the world and especially of the people in it creates a discourse of normalcy and hence Others those who do not fit that template – pathologises that person.

The role of leadership in corporate contexts should not be to automatically penalise the “one” but instead to be open to hearing and acting upon what they say…and also working hard to create a climate where the “one” is not alone because other “ones” around them feel confident to assert themselves.

Sometimes, we do find people engaging in behaviours in a corporate context that adversely impact the workplace and those in it. Stopping labelling those who opt to stand out as the “one” opens a more positive conversational space for leaders to explore these circumstances and remediate them.

Ultimately, we need to drop the labels and focus on the people who work alongside in our organisation. Labelling has always been seen as an issue in compulsory education settings…but it tends to be pushed into the shadows when people arrive in the workplace. It shouldn’t be.

In my new book on existentialism and the workplace, I underscore how labels are essentialist visions that deny us the chance to actively live our lives – and define ourselves in that way. The “one” is opting to exercise the freedom and choice intrinsic to human existence; defining them as the “one” denies them that vital liberty.

This requires those charged with overseeing our corporate contexts to embrace a drastic shift in outlook and practice. Stop being the boss, turn away from management, ignore leadership – and instead be the supportive and thoughtful person who carefully creates a comfortable and encouraging space for everyone to be the one, if and when they feel motivated to be the one. This ambition can be summarised in this revised version of the plaque!