The intolerance of controversy in psychoanalytic organizations

In an age when our survival as a profession is less threatened but our growth increasingly depends upon our ability to apply our theories and techniques away from the couch, it has become important to understand how our organizational life relies on competing roles and different demands. That can be confusing for those of us who understand conflict primarily in the dyadic relationships of traditional psychoanalysis. Roles and collaboration, essential to work in organizations, require a greater acceptance of differences. Moreover, it requires a better understanding that our motives often stem from the tasks assigned in organizations and those tasks require collaboration rather than confrontation. A better understanding of these tensions and conflicts, endemic to organizational life, will enhance our ability to apply our insights outside our consultation rooms. And it offers, as well, the opportunity to work more effectively together on our professional organizations and associations, avoiding the bitter controversies that continue to bedevil our organizational life.