Is your workmate a psycho?

BY DAVID GADD

Look around you at work today – that annoying habit of your workmate could be the tell tale signs of a psychopath in your midst.

And take an extra close look at the women near you.

They're the worst, says an expert.

Up to one-in-ten New Zealand workplaces "harbour a psychopathically-oriented worker" capable of functioning within normal society but who victimises workmates with their "dark side," according to Dr Giles Burch, a psychologist and senior lecturer in management from the University of Auckland Business School.

On those figures, with 471,100 companies in the country, that means an estimated 47,000 psychopaths in the workplace - or two percent of all 1.9 million workers.

 

Do your workmates exhibit these tell tale "genetic" signs of a psychopath?

• brown nosing,

• superficial charm,

• a grandiose sense of self-worth

• pathological lying

• cunning

• manipulation

• lacking remorse and empathy

•  a sense of impulsive non-conformism and sensation-seeking.

 

Dr Burch said his research shows psychopaths created "toxic workplaces" with bullying, manipulation, sexual harassment, lying and fiddling the books.

"We all come across people at work from time to time who are difficult, devious and troublesome," Dr Burch said. 

Dr Burch said most people with personalities generally fitting under the 'psychopathic umbrella' do not commit obvious crime and are not imprisoned or hospitalised, but function within normal society - often with apparent success and the respect of their bosses.

However, psychopaths are generally highly destructive and manipulative individuals with "dark sides" who have no remorse for their actions, which can result in a range of serious issues for organisations and the people within them, Dr Burch says.

And they're making you ill, he said.

Victims suffered insomnia, depression, were more prone to heart attacks could even be traumatised to the point of suicide.

"Unrelenting stress from a toxic workplace causes anxiety and clinical depression in 30 percent of female and 20 percent of male targets, according to international research.  The risk of cardiovascular disease is 30 percent more likely when workers believe their workplace is unjust.

"However, the damage done by a corporate psychopath is not only limited to the primary victims of manipulation, but also the colleagues, families and friends of these unfortunate individuals," said Dr Burch.

"Psychopaths are increasingly common in business - they are attracted to, and retained in, highly competitive workplaces by unwitting companies who reinforce their behaviours by promoting them," Dr Burch said.

Banking, finance and media sectors were particularly prone to psychopaths and they generally rose to management in any sector, he said.

The "superficial charm and apparent decisiveness" of the psychopath was easily mistaken for leadership. 

Workplace psychopaths have the same psychological make-up as their criminal counterparts, but have the ability to hide their tendencies and are often promoted to senior positions with power, the research shows. 

 "They are typically only interested in power, control, domination and subjugation, and it is believed that female psychopaths are more dangerous than males as they are more socially skilful in their manipulation," said Dr Burch.

Jason Walker, managing director of Hays Specialist Recruitment called psychopaths "culture assassins" and said the ability of staff to work well together was increasingly important to businesses.

He said the best way to avoid hiring psychopaths were behavioural questions in interviews - such as asking for examples of team work - and then checking those with referees.

Psychometric testing was also on the increase for mid and top level roles.

Getting rid of them was difficult however and required a well structured performance management process, which looked beyond financial measures to "soft" results such as how staff lined up against company values, he said.

There were psychopathic traits which were good in small doses said Dr Burch - such as tough mindedness. But full blown psychopaths proved problematic and disruptive.

"The damage caused by the presence of psychopaths in the workplace is potentially huge and impacts the business as a whole, as well as individual staff members and the organisation's customers, suppliers and joint venture partners.

"Psychopaths exist in all facets of business, albeit with varying degrees of psychopathic traits."

 

 

 

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