Sometimes the performance changes genre. When rituals no longer work, intrigue takes over — a form of management through implication, hint, and doubt.
It never comes head-on. First — a "question," an "opinion," some "feedback":
"How often do you contact them? There's a perception they're not always in the loop."
The form is innocent. The meaning is poisonous. It's not seeking information — it's sowing distrust.
The Target
Such mechanisms activate when someone remains alive — speaks directly, makes decisions without facade, has influence not formalized into hierarchy.
In a structure where everyone must play roles, autonomy looks like threat. So the performance starts rewriting the script: "Smart, but not informed." "Not against it, but out of context." "Good, but not systematic."
HR is rarely the initiator. They're simply carriers of assignments, giving political maneuvers the form of "dialogue." Creating managed shadow around those who don't submit to rituals.
The Signal
The system can't tolerate authenticity. An authentic person doesn't need regulations, doesn't need facades. They act — and by acting, destroy the illusion of manageability.
That's why the performance always hunts those who don't play, but simply live and do. Authenticity is an antivirus. But everyone who carries it eventually becomes a target.