TOPIC 29DEFENSE

MECHANISMS

P3Help you deal productively

with workplace dramas

Dysfunctional employee behaviors function to compensate for personal or professional inadequacies or insecurities = Psychological self-protection in the workplace from personal & professional stressors

COMPENSATION

Trying to make-up for something negative in your personal life with something positive in your professional life

CONVERSIONConverting psych problems

into physical (psychosomatic) problems

DISPLACEMENT Taking out your anger at

person A on person B (subordinates, co-workers,

family)

FANTACIZING

Daydreaming your way through the work day to avoid boredom & routine

FIXATIONObsessing about workplace

gossip, controversies, or interpersonal conflicts (to spice up your work life with constant

dramas)

IDENTIFICATIONFeeling you’re somebody by associating with high status co-workers or org activities

FLIGHTEscaping workplace

realities & responsibilities

NEGATIVISMBeing critical of

workplace events that violate your personal

ideals

RATIONALIZATIONTrying to justify what

bothers your conscience

WITHDRAWALPsychologically hiding

from workplace realities that distress you

RODERICK WELLER

Homefare Stores warehouse maintenance

supervisor

1. Spends lunch hour talking to employees about dept. conflicts (fixation)

2. Loses his temper and fires someone; justifies it on grounds that the employee commuted a long distance to work each day (rationalization)

3. Skips out of warehouse when things get especially hectic & stressful (flight)

4. Sometimes goes home early with a bad headache after conflict episodes (conversion)

5. Yells at forklift operators whenever one of their buddies misses work (displacement)

6. At least once a day talks about winning the company bowling league (fantasy)

Takes up the same hobbies as Jackie, the warehouse manager (identification)

What should the company do with Rod? (They already have--Rod started out as their sales manager.)

MA

KI

NG P L A Y

S!

1.Know what your own DMs are.

2.Don’t try to be a psychologist, just be insightful about co-worker imperfection.s

3.Help co-workers help themselves via the fact-feeling dialectic.