'Cockpit Politics’ - Realities of Honour-Shame heirarchy in the Workplace

As we research and write on Honour-Shame issues, you might think it relates to a general area of social ethics and social presurres in our 21st Century world. And while that is true, it affects far more.  It affects everything!

Honour

An African Pastor once told me that Honour-Shame is the web that holds Africa together.  But its a web which is present in more than just Africa. 

Among others, honour-shame social researcher Brene Brown has written about how honour-shame dynamics can impact workplace dynamics and business success.

I have just finished a conversation with a young man in regard to a problem he faced in a business situation where the older person refused to allow a question from someone younger, and the young man wanted to know if that is all 'part of the honour-shame' issue, and if so how should a Christian deal with it in a godly way and not just a cultural way? He went on to tell me of further incidents he was observing of a business owner who he is concerned is slowly ruining their business simply because they cannot bring themselves to question the way a deal is playing out with the older CEO of another complany.  

He voiced concerns over confusion between how one is expected to funciton 'culturally' and how one is expected to function in the modern business world in Africa.

He explained to me that who speaks and when and how, is quite different say in a (traditional) kgotla customary court or meeting context in comparison with a modern legal system Magistrates Court or Business meeting.  

Then in addition to the tension of differing expectations of the two systems, the question arises for Christians, as to whether there is a godly way to approach this tension?

Heirarchy

One 'workplace' where the 'stakes are high' in this regard is in an Aircraft cockpit, as this Australian ABC news article explains.

The author of that article, Eva Fabre says:

Commercial-airline crews are made up of one or two first officers and a designated leader, the captain. While all the pilots have the necessary skills to fly the aircraft, the captain is legally responsible for the flight. They are more experienced, better paid and often significantly older than first officers. 

Before take-off, the captain decides who will pilot the aircraft and who will monitor the instruments, checklists and communication. 

The power imbalance between the two creates a hierarchical system. 

Depending on the situation and the pilots' personalities, this imbalance can sometimes compromise communication and adversely influence decision making.

She also rightly states:

Also, the higher a person's position in the hierarchy, the less negative feedback he or she will openly receive from subordinates. 

I had read about one particular airplane crash in which the first officer did not speak out against a decision of the Captain for fear of consequences of appearing to dishonour and question his elder. Fabre references this crash, but also mentions additional incidents with similar causes.

Halo

She calls it the 'halo bias'.

In other words there is a 'bent' in us toward a desire for honour. We envy others when they have it and we don't want to let go of it when we have it!

But is therefore all heirarchy bad?  She argues not. In fact she argues that heirarchy is needed and has proved valuable in some cases of emergency. 

But she also says that the first priority is to educate the pilots in regard to the 'issues associated with heirarchy'.  This is exactly what we are beginning to try to do in relation to business in Africa.  You have to start with building an awareness of the issues. You can never overcome the issues if you never really see the issues at their root, in the first place.

She says:

...more research is necessary to better understand and deal with these complex phenomena.

Heirarchy itself is not the problem, but how it is understood, managed and implemented is the key.

And this is where we get back to the place where I have been on mulitple previous blogs including ones related to roles and identity.

If we take our identity from our heirarchical position in relation to people around us, we will feel we are personally under attack when our position is threatened by our knowledge being questioned. In other words our honour is misplaced in our personal position and it becomes pride.

When we confuse our role (what we actively do) with the honour of our identity(who we instrinsicly are), or think we gain our identity through our role, we make life very dificult for ourselves. We begin to desire equality of role (which is impossible) to satisfy an equality that is meant to come through identity of who we are as human beings. And then like this article which references C S Lewis, mistakenly suggests, there becomes a belief that equality is a false and hopeless idea. 

Equality is not a deception, but equality without acknowledging the Creator and the Saviour is a deception and will fail.  When we see ourselves as equal before God, we can similtaneously live according to the hierarchy of God as King and various ones around us as fulfilling roles ordained by God as part of his 'management plan' for the world He made.

Ultimately it is only as we see ourselves with a primary identity in Christ, transcending all earthly roles and positions and heirarchies, that we will have the grace to submit to heirarchy when we need to (with no envy or fear of feeling 'less' or 'un-equal'), and the courage to question heirarchy when we need to (with no fear of reprisal).

Humility

Alongside understanding 'Heirarchy' we also have to understand another 'H' word ….'Humility'.   

For Heirarchy to work, Humility must be present. 

Or to say it another way - for Heirarchy to succeed, Pride must secede.  

Brene Brown uses the term 'vulnerability' - we must be willing to let go of the notion that our honour is rooted in always being acceptable and perfect in the eyes of other people, and even in our own eyes…..and grasp the truth that our honour comes from our Creator and Saviour. 

Proverbs 15:33 says 'humility comes before honour' (or as the New Living Translation says "humility precedes honour")

Our honour is not of our own making and before the eyes of people, but our honour is meant to be because of who we are in Christ before the eyes of The Living God.

This honour has a 'Humility' pivot - to know this honour we have to be willing to come in humility to God.  Then when we in humility, give honour to Him, we in turn know true honour from him, and thus have the power and freedom to live in humility before others.

Yes, it is this true divine honour that gives us the power to live with humility before others and to risk and endure their shaming humiliation if necessary. It gives us the courage to let go of the desire to manage and control how others honour us, and put God and His Honour first.

His

It's all about being His and putting His honour first. In knowing we are His, we can live from a position of honour, secure in the knowledge that we belong to Him, wherever we are…even in the workplace.