Stress in the workplace is not just due to staff cuts, tight deadlines, and limited resources. There is also a subtler, pervasive factor contributing to employees’ stress. That is the underlying dynamic of the corporation and the individuals that make it up. I think of corporations as big dysfunctional families. The CEO is the admired and feared parent. Coworkers are siblings, complete with rivalry.
Stress in the workplace is not just due to staff cuts, tight deadlines, and limited resources. There is also a subtler, pervasive factor contributing to employees’ stress. That is the underlying dynamic of the corporation and the individuals that make it up. I think of corporations as big dysfunctional families. The CEO is the admired and feared parent. Coworkers are siblings, complete with rivalry.
In his book, The Psychodynamics of Work and Organizations (1993, Guilford Press), William Czander states: “Because the organization is a hierarchical system, it closely resembles the family structure, and the competitive nature of work requires that one continuously move up or ahead and achieve the top position. Psychodynamically, all employees want to be the favored child of the idealized leader, and all want to take the leader’s place. Jealousy of the leader’s power, perks, and position often precipitates an array of affects, most of which are prohibited and not expressed.”
Because these feelings cannot be expressed, they often come out in other ways. For example, one member of a team undermines another’s efforts, even though both team members would be best served by working together cooperatively to achieve their goals. Gossip and rumors are other common ways that employees compete and undermine each other. As in families, the CEO/parent often doesn’t see everything that’s going on amongst the employees. Favoritism exists, and can lead to further jealousy and bitterness.
Conversely, almost all human beings seek connection with others and fear loneliness and abandonment. But sometimes these underlying fears and desires lead to behaviors which actually push others away. Sometimes we actually invite the thing we fear most.
Sometimes corporations need psychotherapy as much as individuals do.
If you have work stories you’d like to share, I’ll respond with my thoughts on some of the underlying dynamics.
lo
How often do you hear people say “you shouldn’t feel like that…” Maybe you even say it to yourself. What these kinds of statements imply is that you can and should control your feelings on a regular basis. However, it is enormously difficult to carry out. And it may not even be wise to deny or repress your feelings. They don’t go away, they just get pushed down only to come up in some other way, such as somatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, or sleeplessness.
How often do you hear people say “you shouldn’t feel like that…” Maybe you even say it to yourself. What these kinds of statements imply is that you can and should control your feelings on a regular basis. However, it is enormously difficult to carry out. And it may not even be wise to deny or repress your feelings. They don’t go away, they just get pushed down only to come up in some other way, such as somatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, or sleeplessness.
A common misconception underlying the belief that feelings are to be controlled is the idea that feelings and actions are somehow inseparable. In fact, the more you think of them as completely separate, the freer you are to feel your feelings as they arise. Then you can decide how or if you want to act on them. It’s a liberating concept because you no longer have to expend a lot of psychic energy keeping your feelings beneath the surface. And, by choosing separately how to act on those feelings, you can reduce relationship conflicts as well.
Anger is a good example. Imagine feeling really angry at your spouse because he or she has forgotten something that’s important to you. That is a natural feeling. However, if you step back before creating a fight, you may realize that your spouse has been particularly stressed at work lately and worried about losing his or her job given the economic climate. In those circumstances, it can be easier to forget even important family events. With that in mind you can choose to have a more constructive conversation with your spouse, letting him know that you’re disappointed he forgot the event, but you also understand the extra stress he’s under at the moment. That will raise the issue without putting him on the defensive.
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