Some of her juniors even resigned from the firm and joined its competitor. Her office seemed to be struggling with morale and when staff members were assessed individually, they kept listing down Ruth as the problem.

The supervisor realised that Ruth was increasingly becoming a liability and the cause of other employees’ dissatisfaction. They had an option of firing her, but they withheld the decision because they had spent considerable time and resources training her for the job and she had achieved great results in the past.

Ruth was thus referred for consultation, where the counsellor diagnosed her with a borderline personality disorder and even prescribed medication to help her manage the condition.

The above situation, though hypothetical, is an example of how personality disorders can affect productivity at the workplace. Personality disorders, according to clinical psychologist Dr John Ng’ang’a,  are individual traits that are rigid and affect not only a person’s behaviour, but also how they relate with others.

“In Kenya alone, a huge percentage of the population, numbering millions, possesses personality disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), narcissism, bipolarity and even schizophrenia. These people are active in the workforce, where their individual personality disorders may greatly affect their relations with clients and colleagues,” Elaborates Dr Ng’ang’a.

NARCISSIST PERSONS

Dr Ng’ang’a, who also happens to be the head of Department of Human and Social Development in Technical University of Kenya, explains that many workers are oblivious of the personality disorders they possess.

“If someone’s behaviours are arousing serious concerns at the workplace, then a personality disorder may be the cause,” Says the university don. “People with personality disorders can be among the most challenging for organisations to deal with. However, with proper guidance and knowledge of their disorder, employees can be assisted to live more fulfilling lives and become productive.”

Bipolarity, for starters, is a condition that is characterised by periods of abnormal overachievement alternating with periods of low performance. This is because, Dr Ng’ang’a says, the condition is usually characterised by manic high moods and chronic depression when a person is exposed to stress.

“Individuals with bipolar disorder may deride people at the workplace, while also tending to put other colleagues on an extremely high pedestal. This tendency of seeing people as either all good or all bad is due to their repressed anger which leads to expectations of abandonment or inevitable rejection,” the therapist says. 

Though narcissistic persons may profess a healthy dose of confidence and may make charismatic leaders they may prove to be difficult in the long run. Defining narcissists as individuals who are overly in love with themselves, Dr Ng’ang’a warns that their over-inflated egos may make them manipulative and easily angered at the workplace.

“Narcissists are constantly pursuing gratification from their colleagues and bosses, and easily take offence when the spotlight isn’t shinning on them,” he explains. “Working on a group project with a narcissist may quickly deviate from being a collaborative exercise to becoming competitive. This hurts the morale of other employees especially if the individual in question is their leader.”

But perhaps the most challenging of personality disorders you can encounter in the office is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The mental illness may cause one to be prone to compulsive behaviours such as repeatedly washing hands or continually counting things in a particular order or hoarding unnecessary junk.

“At the office, individuals with OCD may have trouble with punctuality as they need to have their stuff precisely arranged before starting work or attending a meeting. Such employees, though they may work long hours and may micro-manage the company’s activities, often-times end up producing results that are below par,” states Dr Ng’ang’a.

POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES

According to the psychologist, causes of borderline personality disorders often include disruptive and unstable childhoods. Most of the symptoms only manifest themselves when the individual is exposed to certain levels at stress at the workplace. Though the conditions can be kept in check by medication, they have no cure and should be dealt with by therapy.

“Employers should encourage their affected employees to seek prolonged treatment for their disorder through a doctor or professional counsellor. It is a good idea to ensure your firm has a resident psychologist. But if not, you may offer to pay for therapy for your employees,” Dr Ng’ang’a opines.

Noting that potential employees are not in any way obligated to disclose their disorders while applying for a job, the city-based psychologist advises that employers may consider performing psychometric tests while hiring. There are firms around Nairobi that offer standardised psychometric tests designed to scientifically measure an individual’s mental capability and behavioural style.

Psychometric tests detect personality disorders early hence help employer to apply accommodative measures for the worker. According to Dr Ng’ang’a, however, they can be quite costly and it is better to conduct them on managerial employees alone to save costs, he advises.

It is wrong for workers to be isolated because of their personality disorder. Instead, the employer should focus on the employee’s strengths so as to make them feel a part of the team. 

Nevertheless, at times you may have to terminate the employee if his disorder results in consistent workplace fracas or prevents them from performing their essential duties.” At the end of the day, creating a productive place of work takes precedence over ensuring the employee’s welfare,” Dr John Ng’ang’a concludes.