 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is Your Company in Need of Family Therapy?
How Companies Are Like Families Like a family, a company is a group of people who have an ongoing relationship with one another. Companies have several things in common with families: 1. Families have distinct ways of communicating and degrees of togetherness. For example: ? Communication may be overt or covert. ? Relationships tend to be enmeshed (too close; overly involved) or disengaged (not at all close; uninvolved). ? Boundaries may be described as diffuse (extreme togetherness), rigid (extreme separateness), or clear (ideal and appropriate). 2. There are unwritten rules which family members or employees must follow in order to survive and thrive in the system. For example, in an organization, the rules might be: ? Never call the boss by her first name. ? Always be at your desk by 8:00 A.M. ? Never eat lunch with a person of lower status. ? Don't place any personal items on your desk or credenza. 3. Unresolved issues from the past have an effect on current functioning and communication patterns. For example: After an emotional event such as a major strike, employees need time to process their feelings. Family therapy following a disruptive event like this would heal such wounds much more quickly. Four Dynamics That We Bring to Work from Home We learn to relate to people first in our families of origin. We learn to trust, communicate, listen, cooperate, and share before we reach our tenth birthday. When we join a company, we bring those abilities with us. And every work team in every company becomes a place where family dynamics play themselves out, for better or worse. Every member of every work team brings the following kinds of dynamics from home: 1. A preference for independence and autonomy vs. dependence and control For example: Some people are most comfortable in a closely supervised work situation and prefer to have everything clearly spelled out. Others find such an atmosphere suffocating and seek an environment where they are left to their own devices. 2. The ability to recognize and respond to appropriate vs. inappropriate boundaries For example: Some companies expect employees to demonstrate extreme loyalty and openness to those within the company. This atmosphere may feel comfortable to someone from a family with similar boundaries, but inappropriate to another person. 3. The ability to communicate with others effectively. This includes: ? Stating opinions and expectations overtly vs. covertly ? Demonstrating listening skills ? Asking for clarification when needed ? Speaking assertively ? Showing respect for others Using effective communication skills requires strong self-esteem. This may be impossible for a person from a family where such communication was never modeled. A person who learned covert, aggressive, disrespectful communication patterns would not be successful in a work group where the preceding, effective behavior is expected. 4. Demonstrating the ability to trust others When employees do not trust one another, team functioning is threatened. Empowerment and motivation are maximized when people trust each other. Signs of Dysfunction How can you tell if a work group (or a family) is not healthy? Here are some signs of dysfunction: 1. Attendance: Excessive absenteeism and high turnover correlate to family members responding to dysfunction by becoming emotionally distant and running away. 2. Sabotage: When employees feel unable to express their feelings and opinions, they sometimes resort to acting them out by violating rules, sabotaging the company, or by displaying other passive-aggressive behaviors. For example: In a large company, an employee recently shared a confidential, sensitive memo with a friend who worked for a competitor. The memo became front-page headlines. 3. Substance abuse: Employees feeling excessive stress at work may respond as they would in a family, by abusing substances at work or after hours. 4. Overachieving: Companies with very high expectations may create employees who routinely produce miracles. This may look admirable to an outsider, but it can produce burnout among the employees. This dynamic resembles the family that looks perfect from the outside, but is in fact severely dysfunctional. 5. Underachieving: Employees who feel unappreciated or abused may respond by producing substandard results at work, just as such family members do at home. For example: Most stores today have sales associates who act as if the customer is an interruption. These employees appear to have no interest in the success of the company. 6. Emotional or physical abuse: In some organizations, employees are routinely subjected to emotional or even physical abuse. These are obviously examples of severe dysfunction, just as they are when they occur in a family. For example: There have recently been several reports of physical and emotional abuse in the military. 7. Double bind: Some work teams have an atmosphere in which employees feel "damned if you do and damned if you don't." Strategies for Resolving Problems Following an assessment, the following family therapy interventions may help the employees of a dysfunctional company relate with one another in a healthier and more productive way. 1. Teach employees the following communication and problem-solving skills: ? How to define problems in a nonblaming way ? How to listen with empathy ? How to make requests assertively ? How to brainstorm solutions 2. Help employees identify themes and company (family) myths. Explore those that may be discussed and challenged, as well as those that may not. 3. Triangulation is the process where two people side against a third. Teach employees to manage conflict by teaching them how to avoid triangulation. 4. Where a work team shows signs of being disengaged, help employees build stronger relationships and communication patterns. Use team-building techniques to accomplish this. 5. Where the system is enmeshed, help the employees strengthen boundaries and increase autonomy. Team-building exercises can be helpful here, too. 6. Teach supervisors how to manage employees more effectively through regular supervisory skills training. Just as parents benefit from parenting skills training, supervisors need similar instruction. Supervisory training should address the following skills: ? How to demonstrate effective listening skills ? How to encourage open communication among team members ? How to empower team members by setting effective goals ? How to encourage creativity and initiative ? How to resolve conflict in a healthy and productive manner The goal of such interventions is to energize employees by teaching them new ways to relate to one another. Garrett Coan is a professional therapist,coach and psychotherapist. His two Northern New Jersey office locations are accessible to individuals who reside in Bergen County, Essex County, Passaic County, Rockland County, and Manhattan. He offers online and telephone coaching and counseling services for those who live at a distance. He can be accessed through http://www.creativecounselors.com or 201-303-4303.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Treat Employees Fairly, Car Wash Entrepreneur sets Industry Standards I believe that whether corporations expense their stock options is besides the point, especially when the stock is worthless. We have studied over the years the rift between employees and employers and we have discovered many great brand names are eventually destroyed from internal strife and friction within the company itself. Offshore This! (Outsourcing Tech Support Overseas) So I call my telephone company and someone picks up 15,000 miles away. I asked the rep where she's from. Innovation Management - the power of decision makers Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. The Challenges of Human Resource Management IntroductionThe role of the Human Resource Manager is evolving with the change in competitive market environment and the realization that Human Resource Management must play a more strategic role in the success of an organization. Organizations that do not put their emphasis on attracting and retaining talents may find themselves in dire consequences, as their competitors may be outplaying them in the strategic employment of their human resources. Performance Expectations - 5 Tips and 5 Questions People want to understand their role - they want to do well! So by being clear, really clear about what it expected of them, makes a big, big difference! And that improves performance as well as saving you time chasing others around to deliver what you want.5 TipsBe Clear - your people need to know what they are doing, both in terms of actions and the standards that you will be expecting. Designing Your Healthy Administration - A Management Overview Management or Leadership?Simply stated, management ensures that things get done, in accordance with accepted policies, based on the reality of a situation. It involves deciding the how, and the when and often the who. Provisioning/User Management System Upgrades: Part II - Building Awareness And Building Approval Somewhere in the world is a person who wants to see their provisioning/user management systems get a sorely needed upgrade. But they seem to be getting nowhere. Dont Hire Squirrels to be Your Top Dogs Bad hiring decisions cost organizations, both in dollars and lost opportunities. But getting the right people in the right places doing the right thing is not easy. Business Leadership Skills - Managing the Human Being Behind the Business Managing the Human Being Behind the Business It's a common problem and we've all seen it - business owners that are just 'too busy' all of the time, and as a result, do not enjoy the success in business they had hoped for. Let's not kid ourselves, there is a lot to focus on: technology, employees, sales, marketing and so on. The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - The 4th C: Cumulative Money Problems A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble.The 4th C: CUMULATIVE MONEY PROBLEMSConflicts over money are very high on the list of reasons that 70% of business partnerships fail. Outsourcing Quiz: Cheap Vs. Good Someone can say, 'Why do you oppose this?' So I'd like to prevent such attacks and tell that this article is dedicated mainly to the issue if it's worth to look for the cheapest solution.Software and web development market is overwhelmed nowadays. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Creating a Culture of Empowerment This article relates to the Culture & Climate competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. AlphaMeasure defines climate as the effect an organization has on the employees, while culture refers more to the acceptable behaviors, attitudes, and habits of the organization as a whole. Important Communication Tips For Managers The following tips will help you communicate more effectively with your employees:1. Let employees know that having feelings is okay. Interviewing: How to Stay Out of legal Hot Water Some interviewers ask great questions; others ask dumb questions; and, worst of all, some ask questions that can get them into legal hot water.Every recruiter, hiring manager, executive, and department manager must realize that asking the wrong questions or making improper inquiries can lead to discrimination or wrongful-discharge lawsuits. Does Your State Like To Keep Your Workers Compensation Secrets Hidden? Workers compensation secrets are hidden deep within piles and piles of bureaucratic mumbo jumbo. They are sometimes used as high priced paper weights for over worked government workers who may or may not be totally interested in seeing that you find the exact information that you are looking for. Using Outlook to Count Responses Here's a productivity tip that will save you a lot of time and trouble if you need to collate responses from staff for any reason, especially if you work for an organisation with a lot of staff.Case Study: I worked for a financial institution with 3,000 plus employees and had to identify how many employees needed compulsory training in certain legislation so that we could plan and resource the training. Being a Great Boss Are you one of those bosses that people just love to hate? Maybe successful, maybe very intelligent, maybe organized and moving forward but just can't get along with people. Communication and other people skills are as important to the success of your business as your talent, knowledge and entrepreneurial drive. Managing Workplace Conflicts Kinds of Workplace ConflictsLet's start by identifying where conflicts happen. Think about the kinds of conflicts that happen around your workplace. Ten Steps to Take the Work out of Work - Replicate Yourself! They say that management can be a lonely place. A manager has to lead from the front, make challenging demands of their people and if part of an organisation, pass on the dictats of the more senior and remote bosses up at the top. The Fairness of Office Politics... Integrity and Political Motivation! I hear many complaints daily about the "unfairness" of politics in corporate America. Employees say that their managers "lie" or issue "personal attacks" against them.
|
|
|
 |
 |
