The dark side of personality in the digital workplace

We all have a dark side and it often surfaces when we’re under pressure – whether from stress, tight deadlines or personal crises that spill into everything else.

Managers are usually focused on bringing out the best in their teams, but even the best intentions can run into challenges under extreme stress. There’s often a gap between how we want to act, how we usually act and how we behave when things get difficult. 

While people are driven by the same fundamental personality patterns, their behaviour can be different in virtual environments. The lack of in-person cues, and constant switching between tasks, teams and even time zones, creates new dynamics. Distractions are different, and the temptation to either clock out early or dive too deep into perfectionism and workaholism can become even stronger.

• How to communicate urgency without stressing out your team

Personality and personality clash

Personality styles are the consistent patterns in how we think, feel and behave in response to the world. When these patterns become dysfunctional, leading to counterproductive thoughts, emotions or actions, we can describe it as the “dark side” of personality.