Corporations on the Couch

Lynn Friedman, Ph.D., Psychoanalyst, Clinical Psychologist and Executive Coach

A monthly column published in the Washington Business Journal

To erase corporate dysfunction, assess and address

Tell any senior partner or executive that you're a psychoanalyst to corporations, and the floodgates open. No matter how high up they are in the food chain, no matter how profitable the corporation, they'll regale you with tales of organizational dysfunction. A senior partner, a rainmaker is legendary for hemorrhaging associates. A CEO with an irascible temperament and a serious drinking problem is renowned for his abusive tirades. A talented senior financial executive is notorious for sexual and racial harassment. The president of an association fails to back her vice presidents even when this leaves the nonprofit vulnerable to a lawsuit. Ask when their problems first began and you'll learn that they existed in the culture for as long as anyone can remember. In fact, these behaviors often do not get recognized as problems until they pose a major legal or financial threat to the organization. What prevents us from stopping behaviors that are costly, obnoxious or even illegal? And what can be done about it? The answer is as complex as the people within the companies. Analyze this To erase corporate dysfunction, assess and address (Continued on the Washington Business Journal website.)

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