The psychotherapist and author discusses what it means to get ‘hooked’ and how to get un-hooked
Despite the fact that emotion is discouraged in business, if you scratch the surface of any organization, you find people feeling anxious, angry and misunderstood. What is the result of this paradox?
Unfortunately, the result is interpersonal warfare that quietly goes on behind the scenes and that employees and bosses find very difficult to address directly, because it’s not recognized as a valid part of the work experience. Employees can find themselves caught up in turf wars, power grabs and e-mail battles – yet by and large, they don’t possess the tools and tactics to address these problems.
Unhooking verbally is the third step. Now that you’ve unhooked physically and mentally, you can say something to move the situation forward. I always advise taking the high road, which means taking responsibility for the situation and suggesting some kind of constructive action. The fourth and final step is to unhook with a business tool, which is any business procedure that can improve the situation. This could mean documenting what’s been happening, sending an e-mail to the person’s supervisor, having an evaluation done or drawing on company policies.
[This article has been reprinted, with permission, from Rotman Management, the magazine of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management]