Narcissism is the admiration of one-self and the pursuit of appreciation. It is considered to be an adaptive personality trait by personality psychologists (Yakeley, 2018). However, narcissism can also be an abnormal or maladaptive condition, in which case it is called narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). People with this condition can be self-indulgent, aggressive, and demanding. They manipulate and exploit others, display arrogant attitudes, lack empathy, and feel self-important (Yakeley, 2018). People with NPD tend to satisfy their needs at the expense of others. They blame other people for not matching their high standards and often experience irritability and despair (Yakeley, 2018). Narcissistic employees can negatively affect the work of any organization. Therefore, managers should refer them to health professionals or create an environment that will help correct selfish behavior.
When dealing with narcissists, a manager should create team cohesion within an organization so that peer pressure would encourage a person with NPD to accept the group’s norms (Kets des Vries, 2017). Another suggestion is to promote feedback from other employees as collective opinions will be complex for a narcissist to avoid. This way, employees will confront narcissists’ impulsive behavior and control it (Kets des Vries, 2017). Moreover, it is essential to cultivate sympathy and compassion within an organization and realize that a person with NPD may be suffering internally and may need professional help.
Overall, narcissists are egotistic lovers of one-self that value their opinions above all. Their presence may cause problems in an organization as they tend to devalue other people’s work and create a hostile environment in a company. Thus, managers should create strong teams of employees who can influence narcissists and change their behavior with feedback and support. In case managers cannot modify employees’ narcissistic character, they should refer them to a psychotherapist.
References
Kets des Vries, M. F. R. (2017). How to manage a narcissist. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Yakeley, J. (2018). Current understanding of narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder. BJPsych Advances, 24(5), 305-315. Web.