Working with people who orchestrate

Abstract

Clients we previously called manipulative may now be described less detrimentally as ‘orchestrative’. Searching for a word that describes certain collective descriptive behaviours without instantly stigmatizing the person was, we confess, difficult. ‘Manipulative’ tends to be a pejorative word which we would seek to avoid. The client who manages with proficient skill to orchestrate both his environment and the people around him should not be judged in a negative sense. This is, after all, his attempt to get the best for himself, although it often takes a maladaptive form. However, it is not inconsistent with behaviour which all human beings adopt in adverse situations, and which some more socially skilled people (notably politicians and entertainers) engage in from habit or for personal profit.