Idleness, in the original meaning of the term, is not to stand still: João Sevilhano interviewed by Leiria Económica
The business world has more and more uncertainty and more variables. Everything happens faster. Does this change of framework demand changes in the psychological/emotional profile of entrepreneurs? What impact has it had at that level?
This change in the business world has highlighted and exacerbated a phenomenon that is not new: living in the "business world" is, in itself, a very demanding condition. In an environment that excels in uncertainty, volatility and urgency, the levels of demand increase. León Grinberg, an Argentinian psychoanalyst, says that psychopathology results from a greater intolerance to ambiguity and uncertainty, while "mental health" is linked to a greater ability to adapt to the complexities, ambiguities and uncertainty that are an integral part of human life. In this line, we can also think that the need for immediate satisfaction of desires, and the incapacity to tolerate the frustration inherent to it, is one of the great causes of suffering.
How does this premise apply in the business world?
Those who live in the business world, where, ultimately, everything is centred on obtaining results, are inevitably faced with the obligation to create "desires" (expectations and their fulfilment/objectives/commitments/results) which, in an environment such as the one described above, there is a permanent risk that they will not be fulfilled. There is also an idea related to the word "business" itself: idleness is not allowed, it is denied; it even acquires negative connotations. Now, idleness, in the original meaning of the term, is not just being idle. It is something closer to being able to set aside time and space for cultivation, for reflection, for creation and for the incorporation of experience, of experiences.
John Cleese, the comedian, in a mode that could be seen as too simplistic, approaches this issue through two basic modes of functioning: the "closed mode", which is what allows us to do things, and the "open mode", which allows us to learn, to truly create and be attentive. The philosopher Heidegger also talks about the concept of transparency, our automatic mode of being, and that learning arises when there are "breaks in transparency", when our automatic mode, our comfort zone, is interrupted, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Business, starting from the basis of the link between work and the denial of leisure, removes this possibility. Time is short, time is money and cannot be "wasted", because resources are scarce. In an era in which "work-life balance" is the order of the day, it seems natural that the tensions felt by "businessmen" take on great proportions and relevance.
What psychological/emotional profile does an entrepreneur have to have today to "hold up the boat"?
It will necessarily be different from the profile to "sail the boat safely and smoothly". I don't want to sound condescending, nor do I want to devalue the enormous pressures and tensions that are felt when living in an environment such as the one in the business world today. Nor do I believe that all it takes is a "click", a change of attitude for everything to change. Today, perhaps not only today, the emphasis is on the individual, for better or for worse. It is the individual who has to adapt to the context, it is the person who has to "hold on to the various boats" on which he is sailing in his life. On the other hand, organisations can also make an effort of change and adaptation to provide conditions for people to stop "holding on" and to become "in charge". There is a trend towards a concern for well-being, happiness and social responsibility and sustainability. I wonder if these concerns are genuine or if they are an instrumentalisation of these concepts to achieve the same end, maintaining the same paradigm? "Happy employees produce more", one hears it said today. Where is the weight placed? On happiness or productivity? Is it possible to give equal importance to both?
A person who moves in the business world today must have: a high resistance to frustration; a great capacity to adapt and be flexible; the capacity to take care of oneself; a good level of self-knowledge; the capacity to act and to mobilise; the capacity to know one's own limits, the scope and reach of the roles one plays so as not to fall into imbalances; the capacity to establish good interpersonal relationships, to know the other person; a good capacity to communicate clearly what one thinks and feels. These are some of the characteristics necessary to survive in today's business world. However, I believe that they cannot be permanently active, exactly because of the limits imposed by our human condition. There is a basic limitation: we need to sleep "x" hours a day.
To move from a survival mode ("hold on to the boat") towards a better way of living and helping to transform the business world, all these characteristics are necessary and useful but insufficient. It is necessary to have a critical spirit, to challenge the "status quo", where there is a constant and coherent way of thinking and feeling that makes it possible to question "the usual and/or known way of doing things", starting with oneself; that this way of thinking and feeling is coherent with one's actions. For example, it is not enough to have a good idea of our limits, the scope and range of the roles we play, but to be coherent in our behaviour. If one of my objectives is to have a good balance between the time I dedicate to work and the time I dedicate to myself, my family, etc., will I continue to schedule or accept appointments for 7pm? Of course, this is all very complex and there are many social, cultural and material factors and pressures involved. The point is that pressure is a given, whether it is exerted by external factors (career, expectations, economic issues, etc.) or internal factors (desire for balance, for greater peace of mind, to have meaning for what one does, etc.).
Are these characteristics innate, or can they be worked on?
I believe that in some people there may be a greater predisposition to develop and put into practice these capabilities. At the same time, I believe that in all cases there is the potential for development and learning that can, again, by external and internal factors, be hindered or catalysed.
In what way?
There are several ways of working with these characteristics and it is difficult to point out the most suitable, as individual and circumstantial variations are immense. However, any approach that involves personal, introspective work that puts the person in touch with their ideas and affections in order to understand and make sense of them is an important one. In concrete terms, psychotherapy, counselling, coaching, mentoring, certain types of training, reading, physical exercise, among many other activities, sometimes in combination, can contribute to the learning and development of these characteristics. There is a condition which, in any activity is preponderant, the human quality, first of all, which should be combined with the technical proficiency and professionalism of the "technicians" involved.
Can the lack of the right psychological/emotional profile condition the success of companies? Are there examples in the history of the business world?
No doubt about it! Often we identify cases where the lack of alignment, the absence of clarity and expectations neither declared nor achieved are a source of great failure for organisations and/or suffering for people. As we mentioned before, there must be a syntonic movement between organisations and people so that the interests of both can converge in a genuine way. The confrontation with "reality" often leads to this convergence being seen as very difficult or even impossible. In these cases, it is invariably the company that "wins".
Do entrepreneurs have this awareness? Do they seek support?
I believe that more and more this awareness is a reality in businessmen. There is a greater concern with achieving a balance, a greater attention to aspects related to the human side of business. However, this awareness may, at the stage we are at, become an added pressure, an added tension. There are still many prejudices and stigmas associated with "mental health", particularly in the business world. In this world what is symbolic and intangible is still very much undervalued.
What are the most frequent "complaints" or limitations?
The most frequently expressed complaints can be summarised under two main headings: the balance between "personal life" and "professional life", which includes lack of time, difficulties in agenda management, overwork, etc.; and the difficulty in "managing people", where there is a clear appeal for recipes that work in a universally effective way.
Interview by João Sevilhano to the website Leiria Económica (17 October 2016)
