Geometry for Personalization

The Triangle of Subordination

Employment is driven primarily by the Triangle of Subordination. This pattern is the source of «organization man»—operating together with management's Triangle of Imposition.
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The organization is an impersonal entity that survives changes of individual employees and changes of identity (mission). By accepting the incentives offered and commencing employment, you have agreed, and are ethically obligated, to become an instrument of a bureaucratized impersonal entity. That is unavoidable: the key features shown in the Triangle of Subordination are all part of being employed like it or not.

You must accept instructions-CG6O on matters which are often quite personal e.g. what to wear, how to cut your hair, when to take your lunch-break, which office to work in, who to accept as your co-worker. Passive submission (or resistance) is not an option. Management will enforce discipline on such matters.

It is not enough that you submit whenever asked to do so. You must become the face and representative of the organization. Setting an example-CG6S means taking on an ownership of what it does, and this requires an active form of participation, even a partial identification.

You must bring your submission and ownership together in a natural and willing way, to be perceived as loyal. On the plus side: loyalty normally offers you considerable protection (cf. Star).

The Square of Keenness

But this subordination within employment is not about working at all. It is about controlling yourself in order to be employable. Getting employed is not enough for anyone. We are all keen to work and keen to work well, as part of a fulfilled and rounded life. This is immediately evident if we consider the Square of Keenness.
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This Square shows an active flexible presence-CG5 combined with being resourceful so as to deliver results-CG3. It reveals the obvious: feeling involved releases your keenness, while energetic proficient performance in your post supports it. The Square of Keenness is completed by your willingness to dedicate yourself to your work and clients, and your eagerness to apply your mind and enrich your work by joining in the various work-related activities on offer.

Enrichment does not have the same meaning here as that popularized by Herzberg decades ago. He focused on improving jobs that were intrinsically boring, repetitive and inflexible. Such work is better done by machines, robots or computers. The present reference is to engaging in activities that are tangential to an existing job, which is itself intrinsically interesting and demanding. Not every one wants to be enriched in this fashion: after all, not all employees are keen. For example, specialist professional work or simply believing in the importance of your work may well make the experience of dedication intrinsically gratifying. This could be sufficient to consume all your keenness and make management very satisfied. The enrichment Channel is significant as complement to such a focus and is a realistic option in employment.

The danger from an over-zealous attitude to work is a failure to review it and track your position-CG4 as per the Star. You may well imagine that you have done well—because in reality you have made so many positive contributions and your customers are so pleased with you. Yet your position in the organization may be in grave danger.

ClosedWhy? How?

Your new creative ideas have humiliated the senior management team. your superb performance is making your line manager anxious about his job. your dedication is showing up two colleagues as slacking. and customers are leaving because they want similar levels of attention from parts of the organization that you do not control.

The Rectangle of Assimilation

Management likes an employee who is keen, performs well and is involved. But can keenness coexist easily with subordination? The difference is great but it can and must be reconciled. This reconciliation occurs via the Rectangle of Assimilation.
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Reconciling keenness with subordination is about regarding yourself as an involved member of a staff community, as well as a loyal small cog in a large workforce . However, this combination requires active assimilation within your employment world.

Assimilation within a community involves: 
► being like everyone else, and
► being your own individual self.

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Two channels exist for just this purpose:  Accepting instruction-CG6O and joining in activities-CG5O give numerous opportunities to manifest conformity. Setting an example-CG6S and paying attention-CG5S leave room for you to manifest individuality.

Next pattern: 

► the tetrahedron of morale.

Originally posted: 17-Dec-2011