In his book Everything was forever, until it is no moreHistorian Alethei Yurchak introduced the concept of “hypernormalization.” This describes something that threatens every part of the truth that is officially accepted as contradicting the true reality. This emerged during the post-stalin, pre-perestroika Soviet ERE and was, in fact, a light on the social scene. The same dynamic is trending within many modern organizations, from Uber to Reranos, Brewdog to take care of, where the constant, high emphasis is on the happiness and likeness of real employees at work.
A series of scandals, civil lawsuits and public testimony of employees in these companies shows what goes wrong when managers look for good times and their positivity turns toxic. At Uber, for example, a A case of sexual abuse Highlight the strong mismatch between the values set by the company and the behavior of the old leadership. Erewsdog, an A letter from a former employee has been opened Highlight the oppressive and fear-driven work culture that runs counter to the Utopian vision of the company and its operations promoted by its founders on Social Media Media.
The fundamental problem with organizations that seek excellence, either as a basic tenet of their internal culture or as an important mode of communication with their customers, is that it creates a false illusion. Whatever its origin, over time, compulsive plans become paralysed, irrational and irrational. Employees need to see, hear and not speak negatively, while their emotional performance is translated into inauthentic performance. Doubts, frustrations and legitimate concerns are suppressed because they fail to conform to the popular narrative of how things “supposedly” feel.
Which is not to say that such qualities disappear. Instead, they become part of what psychologist Carl Jung called “the shadow,” accumulated, spent aspects of time alone with the system waiting for an outlet, often living in degenerate and humorous ways. Far from building resilience and cohesion, then, forced optimism comes anywhere A sense of psychological securityleaving workers tired, barking and wasted. Doing and focusing on the good that is not the same as the real thing is dragging and depressing.
Amazon has long marketed itself as a superior company, the epitome of happiness, with the sweet logo of the Ubiquitous Smile. What its management staff has seen in recent years, however, tells a very different story. Throughout the Wellness programs, Mental Health America awards, and mentoring opportunities for employees and their families, there have been The basis of dissatisfaction As people get used to the realities behind the pandemic. The mandate of the company that needs employees is that Go back to the office Three days a week was far from popular. Many employees have adapted well to working from home, appreciating the flexibility and balance work remote food provides them. They remain unimpressed by leadership arguments about the benefits of physical proximity and face-to-face contact with colleagues. The development increased when rumors circulated that Amazon was preparing to extend the policy to the five required office days in 2025.
Insights from a Teamblind poll of 2,585 certified Amazon employees show the disconnect: 91 percent reported dissatisfaction With the Return-To-Office Markete, and 73 percent said they are considering leaving the company because of the change. Far from a positive response saw some workers take to the streets in protest, finding previous harlouts during the 2023 easing. More followed, as Amazon pursued bureaucratic efficiency and its generative AI rollout
But even in Amazon’s case, workers feel able, if only partially, to voice their concerns openly. As Megan Reitz and John Higgins highlight Talk, listenLeaders often don’t know how their situation and work culture create to paralyze dissent, shut down discussions. When indifference is shamed, there is little opportunity for challenge, debate, risk escalation or alternative reasoning. Many find that when they speak up – and certainly when they blow the whistle – they put forward not only senior leaders but their colleagues who are close to them. The money has repeatedly come up in deals involving Uber, Theranos and Boeing.
None of this is to suggest that constant criticism or unwarranted negativity produces healthy cultures, and it can be just as toxic as forced positivity. In all the power of mental security in recent years, there is a need for nuance and moderation – it does not mean the absence of discomfort. As Tomas Chamorro-Premozic argued Don’t be yourselfwork stress, conflict and critical response they all have their place and can be adapted to accommodate communication with different employees. Effective leaders know when to send a plan as motivation and when to minimize constructive conflict. After all, Creative Conflict has revived some of the world’s most important buildings. Without it, many revolutionary ideas would not survive.
The challenge – and the opportunity – is to find the middle ground between toxic intensity and infiltration. Healthy cultures make room for Candor, resistance and adversity. They treat unhappiness as knowledge, not indifference. They see negativity, when presented in a positive way, not as a threat but as a necessary catalyst for development.
Steven d’bo is the author of Shadows at work: Honor your dark side and unlock your leadership potential. He is a teacher, speaker, executive coach and writer.
