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Insincerity is the mother of deceit. Whenever we say something we don’t mean, we tell a lie. It may be a small misrepresentation, but its still a lie as we are being dishonest to hide what we truly think and feel. Repeated insincerity breaks down trust, communication, and understanding. So why do organizations, often without even knowing it, encourage insincerity in their employees? The answer lies a little with social media and a lot in narcissism. NARCISSISTS, NARCISSISTS, EVERYWHERE Since the early 1980s, psychologists have been tracking a steady rise in narcissism: a growing self-consciousness and preoccupation with our image and what other people say about us. The exact cause remains unclear. Changes in parenting styles, increasing individualism, and a cultural obsession with self-esteem have all been blamed. Social media has accelerated the trend, but the rise started well before the likes of Facebook arrived, with one large study of college students finding a 30% increase in levels of narcissism in the 25 years leading up to Facebooks launch. Whatever the cause, the effect has been widespread. People have grown more sensitive to how others view them. You can see it in how people curate a personal brand on Instagram and a professional one on LinkedIn. Cancel culture and political leaders appearing to prize loyalty over competence have hammered home the message: Be careful what you say and do or risk the consequences. Even if it isnt top of mind, the pressure sits in our culture and shapes our behavior. ORGANIZATIONS, TOO And its not just individuals that are becoming more narcissistic, but organizations, too. Because around the same time as psychologists started tracking rises in individual narcissism, they also identified what has come to be called organizational narcissism. Firms increasingly seek visible loyalty from their employees, and emphasize the importance of everyone being aligned and on the same page. As with individuals, organizations have always focused on image to some degree, but evidence suggests they are doing so more than ever before. Broad social forces play a role. Leaders, like individuals, now obsess over reputation. Social media and cancel culture have forced firms to guard their online image. With any message able to spread globally in seconds, firms understandably try to control what employees say about them. Some positive factors, such as organizations investing more in motivating and communicating with employees feed into this. But less positive factors matter to. If todays CEOs are more narcissistic or image-conscious than they were 30 years ago, then they may create a culture in which perceived disloyalty is less tolerated. All this drives organizations to demand affirmation and alignment from employees. What started as a growing awareness of brand image and employee motivation has often morphed into a preoccupation with positivity and controlling what gets said. Even when firms don’t demand this, because individuals have become more image-conscious, employees may nonetheless perceive organizations as requiring these things. An environment in which everyone is positive about a firm can be a good thing. But it is too easy for it to tip to become toxic for individuals and dangerous for the organization. SIGNS AND SOLUTIONS The warning signs of organizational narcissism resemble the symptoms found in individual narcissism. A preoccupation with image and what people say, punishing perceived disloyalty or noncompliance, and reacting negatively to questioning. What matters most is not whether firms behave this way, but whether employees believe they do. The consequences are always damaging. Just as with individuals, organisational narcissism erodes trust, communication, and understanding. Studies show that trying too hard to create a culture of positivity can undermine information flow and decision-making, making them blind to their weaknesses. Some argue that organizational narcissism is an inevitable consequence of a capitalist-driven need to succeed against all competition. They may be correct to some degree. But not entirely. Firms can avoid a slide into overdone loyalty and positivity. The writer Somerset Maugham once said, “What we call insincerity is often just a method by which we can avoid an unpleasantness.” By “unpleasantness” he meant a disagreement. And that disagreement is exactly what breaks insincerity. Leaders and organizations, must actively seeking out, encourage, and reward debate and questioning. They must step back from a preoccupation with whether internal communications make leaders look authentic and inspiring. Instead, they should focus on whether they enable employees to be authentic and inspiring themselves. Because there’s only one thing worse than a negative and disgruntled employee, and that’s an insincere one.
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E-Commerce
The Washington, D.C., architectural firm that President Donald Trump tapped to design his White House ballroom is known for its ornamental, classical architecture, but the firm’s work is not generally known, even by design aficionados. Crews are now demolishing the entirety of the East Wing for an expansive, $250 million new space designed by McCrery Architects, which compared to the detailed, hi-fi portfolios of today’s most prominent architectural firms, has a strikingly light online footprint. The firm’s site shows only contact information for new commission inquiries and a slideshow of work that includes artist renderings of the planned ballroom. There’s no longer a list of its projects, but an archived list reveals a CV that leans ecclesiastical. Its Instagram account is bare. “Committed to Tradition and Excellence,” its bio reads, but there are no posts. The firms portfolio is heavy on churches, and it’s now fast building up public-sector work, driven by a love of classical American architecture. “The very best American architecture is classical architecture once made American,” James McCrery, the firms founder and principal, said last year during a talk at the conservative Hillsdale College. “Americans love classical architecture because it is our nation’s formative architecture and we love our nation’s formation.” Here are some of the firms most notable projects, as its work on one of the most iconic buildings in the U.S. gets underway. Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Knoxville, Tennessee [Photo: Nheyob/Wiki Commons] Ecclesiastical architecture Catholic churches are the most common building type in the firm’s portfolio. McCrery Architects has designed several houses of worship, including the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville, Tennessee; Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Our Lady of the Mountains in Highlands, North Carolina. St. Mary Help of Christians, Aiken, South Carolina [Photo: Jude.anthony1972/Wiki Commons] The firm’s design for St. Mary Help of Christians in Aiken, South Carolina, won the John Russell Pope Award in 2017 for the traditional architecture contest’s Ecclesiastical Design over 3,000 square feet category. In a 2015 reflection about the building, McCrery said the church was “designed to encourage and strengthen all in the Faith . . . [and] intentionally made to be beautiful,” which typifies his and his firm’s approach to design. This year, McCrery Architects was awarded for the baptismal font at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Gloversville, New York. Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, North Carolina [Photo: Farragutful/Wiki Commons] McCrery’s work in academia McCrery Architects designed the University Saint Mary of the Lake Feehan Memorial Library in Mundelein, Illinois, and the Saint Thomas Aquinas Chapel at the University of Nebraskas Saint John Newman Center in Lincoln. Public-sector work The firm’s government work has grown from designing a statue pedestal and gift shop to making one of the biggest changes to the most famous federal government building in the U.S. Here are the details. [Photo: Architect of the Capitol] McCrery designed the pedestal for California’s statue of Ronald Reagan for the National Statuary Hall Collection in 2009. Each state can send two statues to the collection at the U.S. Capitol, and McCrery made the Tennessee Rose marble pedestal for artist Chas Fagan’s statue of the late president and former California governor and actor. The pedestal includes concrete pieces from the Berlin Wall. McCrery’s firm also designed the U.S. Supreme Court’s book and gift shop, and, according to the Catholic University of America, the North Carolina state legislature commissioned the firm to create a master plan for its historic State Capitol Grounds. The White House ballroom The firm’s White House project is now its most visible workand it’s most controversial. [Rendering: whitehouse.gov/McCrery Architects] The sudden demolition to make room for a privately funded addition shocked at least one former White House resident, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation asked the Trump administration and National Park Service to pause until plans can go through the legally required public review processes that it says include consultations, reviews, and public comment. [Rendering: whitehouse.gov/McCrery Architects] Trump’s White House makeover parallels his attempts at expanding presidential and state power, and represents an outward, physical manifestation of a wider Trump project to remake the presidency and leave a mark in his second term. Like using emergency economic powers to impose tariffs or sending National Guard troops into U.S. cities, Trump’s power plays today feel anything but precedented or traditional. Traditional, though, is exactly what the architect who designed his grand ballroom is trained in.
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E-Commerce
Paris Hiltons been an entrepreneur, a reality TV star, a DJ, an author, a model, a singer, and an activist. But she says school felt like torture. Sitting still under fluorescent lights surrounded by beige walls made me feel trapped instead of inspired, she tells Fast Company via email. Traditional environments were too flat, too uniform, and too quiet to support the way I think. It wasnt until after being diagnosed with ADHD in her late 20s that Hilton began to understand how to hone her energy and creativity and how the physical spaces where she worked impacted her ability to focus. Over the years, Ive learned that when a space feels alive, so do I, she says. Data from 2024 shows that almost a fifth of Americans are neurodivergent. According to 2023 research from Deloitte, over half of Gen Z workers identify as such. Yet even as awareness of neurodivergence in the workplace grows, most employers still struggle with fully accommodating these communities: 93% of workers in these groups say they burn out because of it. Over a third even hide their status altogether, out of fear of being stigmatized. [Photo: Ashley Osborn] And with ADHD specifically, recent surveys show that one in four Americans suspect they have it, but are undiagnosed (and diagnoses are rising). Studies also suggest people with ADHD are more creative, and that they also thrive as entrepreneurs. But because of their challenges with executive functions like attention, time management and emotional regulation which can cause heightened sensitivity to stimuli like noise and light, and can be exacerbated when they feel physically constrained most workplaces still unintentionally work against them. Hilton and her partner, the neurodivergence nonprofit Understood.org, offer valuable insights into: The big companies already reimagining their offices to be more inclusive What psychologists and design experts advise to best create offices for these groups How inexpensive and low-barrier making these changes can be As neurodivergence awareness has increased in recent years, businesspeople besides Hilton have opened up about their neurodiversity. Bill Gates opened up earlier this year about having ADHD, and Richard Branson, who is autistic, champions causes for the autism community. But the discussion around how most workspaces arent designed to best accommodate neurodivergent workers has only gained traction relatively recently. Thats what inspired Hilton to design one herself, collaborating with neurodivergence nonprofit Understood.org on the design of her home, and the new headquarters of her entertainment company, 11:11 Media. The neurodivergent-friendly workspace in Los Angeles features seats that enable different postures and a variety of chairs to choose from, sensory-friendly lighting designed to minimize glare and flickering, natural materials like plants and wood (which research has found effective in combating ADHD symptoms) and play areas that encourage free movement. Theres also the Sliving Sanctuary, a cozy space with weighted blankets and flicker-free lighting for brain breaks. It was a chance to build a space that celebrates different ways of thinking and working, Hilton says. Typical spaces constraint atypical brains The wrong workspace can affect anyones productivity, but thats especially true among the neurodivergent, a classification that includes those with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and other cognitive differences. Recently, more high-profile companies have taken similar steps to make their spaces more accommodating to neurodiverse workers, like Etsy, SAP and Microsoft. But theres still lots to do to help close the gap, activists argue especially since such a huge swath of the workforce is neurodivergent, and traditional offices make them distracted and unproductive at best, burnt out and underemployed at worst. And as more and more companies push for return-to-office, many workers in this group may again face the challenges of working in spaces that simply werent designed for them. [Photo: Kevin Ostajewski] In a lot of workspaces, we see things like open floor plans, which can be extremely distracting, says psychotherapist Sarah Greenberg, Understoods vice president of expertise and strategic design. Many workers have long found open floor plan offices noise levels and chaotic setting difficult to work in, particularly those in the deaf and autistic communities. Greenberg adds: We see a lack of natural light, which can really halt inspiration. We see limited places to move, which can make it really hard when the neurodivergent brain needs that to bring our best selves to work. For those with ADHD, even stiff chairs can feel restrictive, making it harder for them to concentrate and ultimately perform their best. In school we were told, stay in your chair, you need passes to use the restroom. Aspects of that culture have bled into workplaces, says Dr. Andrew Kahn, psychologist and associate director of expertise and strategic design for Understood. When neurodivergent individuals feel constrained physically, they often also feel constrained mentally, which can stifle innovation, creativity, focus and productivity. [Photo: Kevin Ostajewski] But this cohort has a unique way of thinking that can prove a significant asset. A new study from the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology in the Netherlands found that ADHDers tendency for their minds to wander can actually lead to more creativity and innovation. Allowing these folks to bring their gifts to the table requires spaces designed to meet their unique needs. It can be the difference between needing to stay home in order to get anything done, or actually being able to be [productive] in that shared space, Greenberg says. It can be game-changing. Low-lift changes that make a big difference Creating a more inclusive space, however, doesnt necessarily require the resources of an heiress or celebrity. Research suggests many of the most impactful accommodations cost $500 or less. For example, standing desks and tactile items like fidget toys have been proven effective in enabling those with ADHD to channel their excess energy without breaking concentration. Noise-cancelling headphones can help block out distractions for those with sound sensitivity. Research also suggests offering a variety of chairs like bean bag chairs, couches and even yoga mats or chairs that can be used in a multitude of positions can make them feel less constrained, both physically and mentally. For the ADHD brain if you cant see it, it doesnt exist, Greenberg says. For example, in your office supply area, using clear bins that are clearly labelled takes away that cognitive load. Greenberg explains that short-term memory and organization are both challenges for people with ADHD, and that a little extra support with both can go a long way. When it comes to design, it’s not about having interior decorating skills, its about understanding the neurology of brains that think differently and then applying those best practices to the physical container in which we do our work, Greenberg says. Hiltons workspace takes into account things like noise control, natural lighting, visual stimuli and textures. Standing desks and alternative workspaces are available throughout the office, and staff are encouraged to move to the workstation that best suits the task at hand. The 25-person staff of the LA-based media company, which promotes customer brand voices and social causes through film, TV and other media, are also surrounded by natural materials, like plants, flowers, wood, and a living wall. Hilton says that the effort she put into creating the space isnt just about enabling herself and her staff to do their best work. Its about pushing a bigger conversation forward. I want 11:11 Media HQ to be a model for whats possible when we prioritize the needs of those who are neurodivergent, she says. People with ADHD or other neurodivergent traits are often some of the most imaginative thinkers in the room.
Category:
E-Commerce
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