“Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.” – George Bernard Shaw
In the last article, I discuss how many American workplaces allow the worst to get promoted to the top. Many leaders create mini-dictatorships where cruelty and malice are valued. These dictatorships, by their very nature, are not people-centric.
Let me be clear that I’m not saying ALL workplaces are like this; and thankfully, I work for a CEO, leader, and organization that is actively trying to be a people-centric workplace where employees are listened to and valued. Many of my colleagues are in similar situations.
Not everyone is so lucky, however. Many of my colleagues, family, and friends are not in these situations.
After reading Elizabeth Anderson’s Private Government and Sohrab Ahmari’s Tyranny, Inc., I am convinced that many workplaces act with too much impunity with respect to treating their employees fairly, let alone respectfully. At least conjecturally, we’ve all had that boss, right? The one that instantly sucks up the air in the room and makes us anxious. Well, even if they were not your direct supervisor, they were still allowed to make it to the top to be someone’s supervisor.
So, what is HR to do? I think Frederich Hayek gives some direction, albeit, not directly, in The Road to Serfdom. In the chapter “How the Worst Get on Top,” written about fascist and communist dictators, and which I am applying to corporate ones, he says:
We must not deceive ourselves into believing that all good people must be democrats or will necessarily wish to have a share in the government. Many, no doubt, would rather entrust it to somebody whom they think more competent. Although this might be unwise, there is nothing bad or dishonourable in approving a dictatorship of the good. Totalitarianism, we can already hear it argued, is a powerful system alike for good and evil, and the purpose for which it will be used depends entirely on the dictators. And those who think that it is not the system which we need fear, but the danger that it might be run by bad men, might even be tempted to forestall this danger by seeing that it is established in time by good men.
Hayek is saying that some people erroneously defended totalitarian states, so long as “good” people got to be in charge. Totalitarianism, these people argued, could be defended if good leaders led. Hayek wasn’t sold. He believed the government systems, regardless of design, were built on coercive powers, which always corrupted over time. What’s worse, power attracts bad apples. People attracted to power are more likely to seek out mechanisms that allow it’s abuse and corruption.
I believe something in the middle, at least in the context of workplace. There are well-designed workplaces and poorly designed workplaces. Well-designed workplaces, which are rarer, are built in a way to weed out incompetence before they move up the ranks. In the event that incompetence does move up the chain, well-designed workplaces can course correct rather quickly. They are designed to withstand human error better than others.
Poorly designed workplaces have no such mechanisms. There are few avenues for dealing with poorly equipped leaders. These workplaces can have great leaders, but it won’t matter. Poor workplaces will corrode these people’s spirits and burn them out. And they will leave quickly, leaving behind the worst, who will rise.
Also, it’s not as if good workplaces are guaranteed to remain good. Over time, they, too, can corrode if there is a series of events causing them to devolve. Think of K-Mart, Sears, Blockbuster, BlackBerry, Boarders…. And so it goes.
Essentially, the system, no matter how well intentioned and well built, will devolve over time when good men, women, and people do nothing. Or, what if good people are unable to do anything because the system is too powerful? A main argument from Hayek is that the more powerful the system, the greater good it could do, but the more likely it attracts bad people.
The reasonable person would say “you’re free to quit and find another job.” That’s true. Although, it’s much easier said than done. Who creates hiring systems? The same totalitarian employers we’re trying to get away from. And many folks would aptly describe our hiring process as broken. Maybe it’s not an accident.
Much like guerrilla warfare, HR can fight small battles over an elongated time in hopes of defeating a powerful enemy, but I make no argument that HR can or should do this alone. Systems need to be holistically addressed, but those that benefit the most from broken systems have little incentive to fix the problems.
I also make no bones that anything we do likely won’t add up to much outside of our direct sphere of influence. But maybe this is enough. Like a guerrilla unit fighting in the jungle, each of us has the opportunity to do something for a greater cause. How can we make sure we do little things to ensure the worst do not get on top, or if they’re on top, keep them from doing the most harm? Let’s revisit some of the conditions for how the worst get there and some tactics I think that can help in the cause:
- Centralization of Power.
As we’ve seen, those focused on power tend to hoard it. If the main issue is the CEO, then there’s not much that can be done. It’s likely best to leave the organization. If the issue isn’t the CEO, then the first course of action is to work with them to ensure that the organization is set up in a way that embraces a decentralized approach. HR pros can do this by:
- Advocating for transparent communication channels that facilitate open dialogue and collaboration across all levels of the organization.
- Implementing decentralized decision-making structures that empower employees to take ownership of their work and contribute to organizational goals.
- Promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity, where different perspectives are valued and respected, fostering an environment conducive to distributed power dynamics.
- Implementing talent development programs that focus on leadership at all levels, encouraging autonomy and accountability throughout the organization’s hierarchy.
- Lack of Checks and Balances.
It is HR’s responsibility to ensure organizations have clear and powerful policies that support employees, especially against abuse. HR needs to communicate these policies and train managers how to follow them and train employees how to access them. Somewhat ironically given the nature of this piece, some of these policies are forced on workplaces through government decree. Others are enacted by employers as a way to build a compassionate culture. Regardless, HR’s duty is to advocate for what’s best for the organization, and in my view, a lot of times what’s good for the employees is good for the organization.
Some classic policies include anti-harassment training, whistleblower protections, FMLA, paid-sick time, and a host of other items. Where HR can truly become advocates for fairness and compassion is taking policies further. Paid parental leave, for one. Overall, other items HR should consider and/or focus on include:
- Developing and enforcing fair and transparent policies and procedures that ensure accountability across all departments and levels.
- Facilitating regular performance evaluations and feedback mechanisms to monitor and assess the effectiveness of internal controls and processes.
- Implementing training programs that emphasize ethical behavior, integrity, and adherence to regulatory standards, fostering a culture of responsibility and oversight.
- Collaborating with senior management to establish independent review mechanisms, such as internal audit functions or oversight committees, to evaluate organizational performance and mitigate risks.
- Corruption of Morality and Values.
By morality, I don’t mean it in a religious context. I mean it in a “justice, fairness, right-thing” context. Values can also mean virtue – acting in an honorable and just manner. Embracing the best of human thought, behavior, and output.
Morality and value in today’s USA seems like a quagmire. A disgusting human being is again likely to become the Republican Party’s nominee for President of the United States. A man who helped stoke an insurrection, brags about grabbing women by their private body parts, actively flaunts his immoral and illegal business practices, and so on… Maybe I am being a prisoner of the Zeitgeist. America has never been a truly moral place despite people pretending as such. It’s just that if society embraces this disgusting behavior, how can the workplace hope to become better?
Ultimately, HR professionals don’t have to embrace filth. We can and must choose to rise above the worst of humanity to serve as catalysts for organizations to embrace just and fair treatment for all. We should consider:
- Developing and championing a comprehensive code of ethics that outlines expected behaviors and principles aligned with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
- Integrating values-based hiring practices that prioritize candidates who demonstrate alignment with the organization’s moral compass and cultural values.
- Implementing robust training and development programs focused on ethical decision-making, empathy, and respect, fostering a values-driven culture across the organization.
- Encouraging leadership to lead by example, modeling behaviors that reflect integrity, empathy, and social responsibility, thus reinforcing the importance of morality and values within the organizational fabric.
This is bitter work. But the results can be transformative if we can make breakthroughs. The only way to be extraordinary is to be better than ordinary, and this sometimes means being better than normal. Fuck normal if it’s normal to abuse people, break laws, harass women, and getting spray tanned orange as the morning sun. This isn’t a political statement as much as an observation. If an asshole like Trump can be elevated so seemingly easily, what chance do we have in the workplace for stopping the worst from rising into positions of power?
Can all these items and tactics be addressed? Maybe, in organizations with the resources and HR prowess to get them addressed – as well as the commitment and backing from the CEO. Will they be 100% successful? Probably not. Some of the worst will still slink through due to their manipulation and politicking. But likely, this bitter work will need to be a long-game strategy with some hits, some misses, but always moving forward.
The one item we can control 100% is ourselves. I’m at the point in my life where my idealistic shackles have been shattered. I have learned a devastating truth about work. If you’re doing everything right, and no one is listening then you lack influence and (ironically) power. If that’s the case, it’s time to leave – regardless of how hard it will be, as I had already mentioned. But at what price is it to have one’s spirit corrupted? No amount of doing the right thing on your part will help the organizations that don’t want the help – their corruption will only corrupt you. When that’s the case, it’s best to leave, let that organization continue being mediocre at best, and find a place that will take seriously the idea that the worst don’t deserve a spot in the organization, let alone a place at the top.
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