DYSFUNCTIONAL WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR
EMPOWERING YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE 1.What are your workplace dysfunctions? How well does your productivity cope with them? 2.How adept are you at tinkering with co-worker dysfunctions? Your own? 3.What dysfunctions do you (maybe unknowingly) breed in your co-workers?
Dysfunctional employee behaviors = seeking to compensate for personal or professional inadequacies or insecurities = psychological self-protection in the workplace from personal & professional stressors
COMMON PROFESSIONAL DYSFUNCTIONS
COMPENSATION Trying to make-up for something negative in your personal life with something positive in your professional life (or vice versa)
CONVERSION Converting psych problems into physical (psychosomatic) problems: headaches, ulcers, etc.
DISPLACEMENT Taking out your anger at person A on person B (subordinates, co- workers, family)
FANTACIZING Daydreaming your way through the work day to fight boredom & routine
FIXATION Obsessing about workplace gossip, controversies, or interpersonal conflicts (to spice up your work life with constant dramas)
IDENTIFICATION Feeling you’re somebody by associating with high status co- workers or org activities
FLIGHT Escaping workplace realities & responsibilities by “diddling”
NEGATIVISM Being critical of workplace events that violate your personal ideals or “hang-ups ”
RATIONALIZATION Trying to justify what bothers your conscience
WITHDRAWAL Psychologically hiding from workplace realities that distress you
Welcome to the world of ORG DRAMAS!
Human behavior ↓ Org DRAMAs ↓ Our real career
You’re not the same person in orgs as you are alone
“I’m happy to work on the project, but not with Nick!”
“Our new boss was brought in from another company, & she doesn’t know squat about how we do things!”
“I’m a friendly person & I want to be liked by my clients. But when I do accounting audits, I’m the bad guy!”
“I program computers, not people!” (Erik reacting to being asked to sell the software he develops to clients).
“Are you sure? JIANT Corp. is buying us out?”
7:50 a.m. and a lot of employees are still sitting in their cars.
“Well, Krista gets to come in at 8:30, so why can’t I?”
“I really get tired of push push pushing the alcohol & dessert!”
”Time to make some real money! We’re switching from a draw vs. commission to 100% commission!”
“But I have to move my family 850 miles to get the new job?”
“Ever since Maintenance was outsourced, they don’t empty the trash cans at night.”
“Just because I’m a good financial analyst doesn’t mean I have to be in charge of the budgeting process every year!”
“Since the new international project covers a wide number of time zones, we’re going to rotate project members on and off the night shift on a monthly basis.”
“Lawrence micromanages the engineers so much, several of them are threatening to quit. They don’t exactly grow on trees you know!”
“ Jake (boss) is the bottleneck around here--he ‘s afraid of making decisions, but we’re the ones who have to deal with our clients calling and calling!”
“The department’s across-the- board 5% pay raise was just neutralized by a $100 hike in our insurance co-pays.”
“If I take the promotion, I won’t be around my friends any more.”
“My boss keeps asking me to run personal errands for him on my lunch hour. What if I say no?”