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David
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For
More Information:
David Lee, Principal
HumanNature@Work
P.O. Box 430
Bar Mills, Maine 04004
Tel: 207-929-3344
E-mail: info@HumanNatureAtWork.com |
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AR
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The
Hidden Costs of Trauma In The Workplace |
| By
David Lee |
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| Reprinted
from EAPA Exchange |
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Although the emotional effects
of trauma have been well publicized, we have
just scratched the surface in our understanding
of the damage it causes. The depth and breadth
of trauma’s effect on our workforce is
far more serious than many people realize.
Trauma impacts every aspect of a person’s
effectiveness in the workplace. Traumatized
workers are compromised in their ability to
learn, think, manage change, and relate to
others. They are more likely to have mental
and physical health problems, including depression
and substance abuse, two of the costliest health
problems in the workplace today.
By understanding and articulating to decision
makers how their organization is affected by
trauma, workplace wellness consultants can
make a major economic and humanitarian impact
on the workplace. By helping organizations
both prevent and respond to trauma, workplace
wellness consultants can help them cut costs
and improve productivity. The most obvious
impact on the bottom line would come from increased
productivity and decreased health care costs.
Organizations would also save training and
organizational development dollars which are
often wasted because traumatized workers’ can’t
effectively integrate and implement these initiatives.
Regardless of how "state of the art" or "cutting
edge" such programs may be, they fall
far short of their potential when the people
expected to utilize them are compromised emotionally,
physically, and intellectually. Trying to teach
communication skills, TQM, or team approaches
to a traumatized worker is like giving gourmet
cooking lessons to someone who has been ravaged
by starvation. They will be too depleted, preoccupied,
and overwhelmed to care about, absorb, or act
on what they are taught. |
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help organizations respond to this
need, we need to understand how trauma
affects people and how this translates
into the workplace. In this article,
we will explore how the cumulative
effects of chronic and acute stressors
result in worker trauma and how this
trauma affects a worker’s: |
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Intellectual abilities |
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Creativity |
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Productivity |
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Ability to manage change |
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Response to diversity |
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Interpersonal capabilities |
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What is Trauma?
Trauma is the experience of being psychologically
overwhelmed. When traumatized, a person is
rendered impotent. At that moment, they are
incapable of coping either intellectually
or emotionally.
Research has shown that trauma leaves a person
changed both psychologically and physiologically
(Van der Kolk and Van der Hart, 1991). Trauma
alters a person’s thinking patterns,
emotional responses, and even biochemistry
(Van der Kolk and Van der Hart,1991; Van der
Kolk,1994). Trauma survivors frequently experience
depression, anxiety, difficulty responding
to new situations, rigid thinking, defensiveness,
paranoia, aggressiveness, over-reactivity to
mild stress, and increased health problems
(Van der Kolk and Van der Hart,1991; Van der
Kolk,1993; Van der Kolk,1994).
Trauma can come from a single catastrophic
event, such as violence in the workplace, or
a series of less dramatic stressors which,
through their cumulative effect, create debilitating
psychological and physical changes. Cumulative
Emotional Trauma is created by the combined
effects of stressors such as demeaning work
conditions, worker/job mismatch, prejudice,
unclear job expectations, impossible workloads,
abusive treatment by peers or superiors, emotionally
draining interactions with difficult people,
and job insecurity. Although not as cataclysmic
as a major violent episode in the workplace
or a natural disaster, these factors chisel
away at a worker’s sense of security,
value and well-being.
Although we often refer to the more chronic
sources of trauma as "stressors",
we need to recognize their cumulative effect
when assessing the damage they cause. Like
Cumulative Trauma Injury sustained from repetitive
movements, Cumulative Emotional Trauma doesn’t
result from a single dramatic incident, but
from the accumulation of microtraumas over
time. Although each individual incident is
not incapacitating, when we add them together
in an unrelenting stream; they create debilitating
psychological and physical effects.
Thus, trauma can come from a single, cataclysmic
event or the cumulative effect of multiple
stressors. Whichever the cause, emotional trauma
results in emotional, intellectual, and physiological
damage which reverberates throughout a person’s
life.
What Determines Whether A Person Is Traumatized?
Not all stressful events are traumatic and
not all people respond to the same stressful
event the same way. Both individual and situational
factors influence how a stressor affects a
person. The following factors play a significant
role in whether a person is traumatized.
Control - The less control a person feels they
have over a stressful situation, the more traumatic
it will be (Seligman,1972; Sauter et al,1989).
Years of research has shown that when a person
perceives they don’t have control over
a stressful situation, the deleterious effects
are much more extreme than those experienced
by people who are subjected to the same stressor,
but perceive they have control (Pennebaker,
1990; Dientsbier,1989).
Thus, it isn’t the direct effect of the
stressor which is so psychological damaging,
but the sense of having no control, which results
in serious trauma. This has been demonstrated
in the workplace, where the degree of control
a person has over their job has been shown
to affect their stress level and prevalence
of occupational health problems Sauter et al,1989;
Gehlman,1992).
The less legitimate control a person has, the
more likely they are to attempt inappropriate
control through violence, territoriality, resistance
to change, and other counterproductive behaviors.
A 1986 study on how stress leads to counterproductive
behaviors estimated the annual cost of such
behaviors to business at $50 billion (Kuhn,1988)
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The Ability to Comprehend and Make Sense Out
a Situation - The more incomprehensible, the
more "mind blowing" a situation,
the more traumatic it will be. Events which
are extremely confusing and disorienting render
ineffective the person’s accustomed ways
of making sense out of the world (Tomb,1994).
Predictability and
Certainty - Research on
both laboratory animals and humans has shown
that the more uncertain and unpredictable a
stressful situation, the more traumatic it
will be (Seligman, 1972). Conversely, when
people have enough information about a challenging
situation to predict what is going to happen
next, they are less likely to feel threatened
and overwhelmed. Even if the information isn’t
pleasant, it is less stressful than not knowing.
A recent study on organizational change by
Keita and Jones (1990) identified uncertainty
and unpredictability as key factors in whether
organizational change will result in employee
mental and physical health problems.
Individual Resiliency or Emotional Toughness
- Whether an event is traumatizing or not also
depends on the individual. Not everyone responds
identically to the same stressor. A person’s "emotional
toughness" mediates the effect of a stressor
(Dientsbier, 1989; Dientsbier, 1991; Loehr,
1994). Research shows that emotionally resilient
people not only have a different attitudinal
response to stress, but a different biochemical
response as well. The biochemical response
of people with low resiliency not only makes
them less likely to respond successfully to
the stressor, but also makes them susceptible
to illness later.
Although emotional resilience probably has
an innate component, research has shown that
emotional resiliency can be developed by programs
which utilize the sequencing of activities
involving moderate physical and emotional stress
followed by recuperation (Loehr, 1994).
Self-Efficacy - A person’s sense of self-efficacy
understandably influences their emotional response
to a stressor. Those with high self-efficacy,
perceiving themselves as capable of responding
effectively, tend to "rise to the occasion" when
faced with a stressor (Dientsbier, 1989; Loehr,
1994) . Stressful situations bring out their
best. Those with low self-efficacy, on the
other hand perceive themselves as incapable
of responding effectively. Because they "know" they
will fail; they feel threatened by the challenge
and give a half-hearted effort which is not
representative of their true capabilities.
Their ineffective responses, generated by their
attitude, lead to unsuccessful outcomes, which
then reinforce their sense of low self-efficacy.
This creates a vicious downward spiral; their
deteriorating sense of self-efficacy makes
them less capable of dealing with subsequent
stressors, further reinforcing their sense
of low self-efficacy. Conversely, people with
high self-efficacy experience an upward "success
spiral". Because they bring a positive
expectation to challenges, stressors bring
out their best. Not only does this increase
their chances of generating an effective response,
it also decreases their chances of being overwhelmed
by stressors, thus reinforcing their sense
of self-efficacy.
A Support System - Not surprisingly, people
with a good emotional support system can withstand
stressful situations more easily than those
who try to tough it out alone (Sarason et al,
1990). A good support system isn’t just
measured by the number of people one can talk
to, but the quality of the interactions. Friends
and family who are negative or only reinforce
a person’s helpless view of the world
will obviously not have the kind of beneficial
effect as people who can be supportive and
encouraging.
The Context - If a potentially traumatic event
takes place in a context where people can talk
about it without having to pretend to be tough
or unaffected; they can work through, and let
go of, the painful emotions triggered by the
event. If the incident takes place in a context
where there is a "no talk rule" and
being emotional means being weak, they are
more likely to hang onto, ruminate about, and
be traumatized by the event.
Trauma, The Mind, and The Brain
Understanding the problems trauma poses in
the workplace is easier when one understands
how trauma affects a person psychologically
and neurologically. To keep this from becoming
a technical treatise, we will only briefly
discuss this topic. We will discuss enough,
though, to help makes sense of trauma’s
effect on worker performance.
Our Three Brains
In his landmark research on the brain and behavior,
Paul MacLean (1983,1993) coined the term Triune
Brain to reflect how our brain acts like it
is composed of three separate sub-brains. He
labeled these brains the Reptilian Brain, the
most primitive brain region, the Paleomammalian
Brain, the next most primitive brain, and the
Neomammalian Brain, the most recent "addition",
which corresponds to the Neocortex. He called
the most primitive region the Reptilian Brain
because of its hypothesized reptilian ancestry.
MacLean proposed that as the brain evolved
and grew larger over millions of years, it
retained the original structures of the more
primitive brain possessed by reptiles. According
to MacLean and others, we inherited not just
these structures, but the instincts and survival
responses hard-wired into these structures.
MacLean named the Reptilian Brain the "Primal
Brain" because it generates our most primal,
instinctual urges and responses.
As evolution progressed and mammals evolved,
the "latest model" of brain became
more complex and capable of greater intelligence.
This "new version," the Paleomammalian
Brain, enabled early mammals to engage in behaviors,
and respond to the world in ways that reptiles,
with their simpler brains, could not. Because
nature doesn’t eliminate structures which
are already working, the Paleomammalian Brain
was "added onto" the Reptilian Brain
like an addition to a rambling farmhouse.
This more modern, although still very primitive,
brain surrounds the Reptilian Brain. The Paleomammalian
Brain plays a major role in our emotional responses,
memory, and our ability to form emotional bonds.
MacLean referred to the Paleomammalian Brain
as the "Emotional Brain" because
of the integral role it plays in emotion.
Finally, as mammals evolved and became more
intelligent, the Neomammalian Brain formed,
surrounding the two more primitive brains.
MacLean called the Neomammalian Brain, the
neocortex, the "Rational Brain" because
it is the neural seat of rational, logical,
and abstract thought. The thought processes
which appear to be uniquely human reside in
this region.
Each of our three sub-brains has a different
biochemistry, different responses to the world,
and a different "mentality" (MacLean,
1993). The Reptilian Brain and the Paleomammalian
Brain, having been around for millions of years
longer than the neocortex, are much more primitive
in their ability to process information and
respond to the world. Their responses are more
like one would expect from our Paleolithic
ancestors or an animal.
To simplify our discussion, we will at times
combine these two sub-brains and refer to this
region as the Primitive Brain when we contrast
the thought process of the neocortex, our Modern
Brain, with these more primitive regions. Although
the Primitive Brain affects many aspects of
our life and helps explain many of our confusing,
conflicting responses to situations, we will
focus on how stress and trauma bring out the
worst of these phenomena.
Emotions, Intelligence and Creativity
Our ability to think and function is directly
related to the emotional state we are in. We
have all experienced this when we were so upset
we couldn’t think straight, words escaped
us, and we mumbled inappropriate comments.
Later when we calmed down, we could think again.
Once out of that state, our intellectual abilities
returned.
When we feel relaxed and safe, we have access
to our full intellectual capabilities. Studies
on creativity and learning show that emotional
safety is essential to optimal use of the human
intellect (Rose,1985; Kline, 1988) When we
are under stress, we begin to lose our more
advanced intellectual capabilities. Leslie
Hart (1983) labeled this "downshifting".
When we downshift, we operate in a more primitive,
rigid, simple-minded way. Caine and Caine (1994)
write:
When we downshift, we revert to the tried and
true... Our responses become more automatic
and limited. We are less able to access all
that we know or see what is really there. Our
ability to consider subtle environmental and
internal cues is reduced. We also seem less
able to engage in complex intellectual tasks,
those requiring creativity and the ability
to engage in open-ended thinking and questioning.
(pg. 72)
Thus, when a person is under extreme stress,
they become less flexible, less creative, and
less intelligent. In this state, they operate
at only a fraction of their creative and productive
potential.
Becoming Primitive
When we downshift, the brain region necessary
for effective intellectual functioning, our
Modern Brain, gets overwhelmed. Because we
still need to function and respond, we use
our Primitive Brain. As mentioned previously,
this "brain within a brain" interprets
and responds to the world in a much less intellectually
sophisticated way than the Modern Brain.
The Reptilian region of the Primitive Brain
is most relevant to our discussion because
it is believed to be the repository of primitive "hard
wired" survival responses related to executing
daily routines, protecting one’s territory,
and establishing dominance and control (MacLean,1983).
We have all experienced Reptilian Brain responses.
Two common examples are feeling uneasy when
our routine has been interrupted and feeling
angry when someone sits in our favorite chair
or at our desk without asking. Despite telling
ourselves we shouldn’t be upset, we are;
the survival programs of the Primitive Brain
have been activated, sending us signals that
something is wrong.
When our more sophisticated, intellectually
advanced neocortical capabilities get overwhelmed;
these primitive responses engage; resulting
in aggressive, inflexible, and territorial
reactions. We see the Reptilian Brain in action
when people feel emotionally threatened. They
become aggressive, defensive, and rigid. We
see it in people who are feeling insecure and
become "control freaks". We see it
in turf battles, power struggles, and mindless
insistence on doing things "like we’ve
always done them."
The effects of trauma on the brain pose serious
problems for employers who are trying to cultivate
a productive workforce. Chronically stressed
employees, because of downshifting, end up
operating out of their Primitive Brain. Unless
we want employees who are acting according
to the law of the jungle and who are using
a small fraction of their intellectual capabilities,
we need to create environments which allow
the more intellectually and socially advanced
processes of the neocortex to be engaged.
What Happens When We Don’t Address Trauma?
To illustrate how trauma affects our efforts
at cultivating more effective workers and organizations,
let’s take a few of today’s popular
training and organizational development initiatives
and examine how they are compromised by employee
trauma.
Managing Change
Personal and corporate survival requires the
ability to embrace and respond effectively
to rapid change. The accelerating rate of change
are usually cited as the greatest source of
stress for today’s workers. The interplay
between the brain and overwhelming stress creates
a vicious cycle which interferes with a person’s
ability to cope with stress. The overwhelmed
person, operating out of their Primitive Brain;
will likely be very rigid, territorial, and
wedded to the "old ways". The more
threatened a person feels, the more they need
to stick to their routines and familiar ways
for security.
Responding from the Primitive Brain, the traumatized
person fights change. The more they fight it,
the less effective they will be in responding
to the inevitable, thus reducing their sense
of self-efficacy and mastery. This further
reduces their ability to respond effectively
when future changes occur, adding to their
Cumulative Emotional Trauma.
Diversity
The ability to appreciate, respect, and value
diversity is becoming increasingly more important
in our increasingly more diverse workplace.
Yet, when a person is operating from their
Primitive Brain, they don’t have access
to the higher cognitive functions which make
this possible. Our modern brain enables us
to make logical assessments of people and generate
intelligent interpretations of their character
and intentions. It also enables us to reflect
on our emotional responses to people and challenge
them when they appear irrational and unfounded.
Our Primitive Brain operates very differently.
It was designed to see the world in simplistic,
stereotyped ways (Ornstein and Ehrlich,1989).
In prehistoric times, our ancestor’s
survival depended upon their ability to quickly
size up a situation with minimal information
and then respond immediately. They couldn’t
sit, study, and analyze whether the animal
running toward them was dangerous or a potential
meal. They had to get just enough information
to make a decision, and then act quickly. Contemplation
and analysis would have resulted in death.
Our survival needs resulted in the ability
to form "caricatures" - simplistic
templates which contained just enough detail
to dictate a response (Ornstein and Ehrlich,1989).
While this served a significant purpose during
a time when our survival was constantly in
jeopardy, it can cause us serious problems
in today’s very different world. When
we downshift and revert to Primitive Brain
thinking, we don’t take the time to understand
a person. With minimal information about them
as an individual; we fit them into a simplistic
caricature of their gender, ethnic, religious,
or socioeconomic group; and then come to a
conclusion about who they are. We don’t
bother and take in any more information because
we already "know" what they are like.
Our caricature has "informed" us
all about them.
The categorization of people into "Us" verses "Them" is
the most simplistic level of caricatures we
engage in. In his studies of xenophobia throughout
the animal kingdom, Holloway (1974) notes the
remnants of this hard-wired response in humans: "We
overcome this to some extent through cultural
learning, and a pride in and positive value
on tolerance and goodwill. But put stress on
the system, and the age-old dispositions are
dominant." pg. 8
Once the primitive "Us verses Them" Schema
engage, anyone who does not fit the significant
characteristics of the "Us" template
becomes one of "Them". This becomes
more damaging when combined with the Primitive
Brain’s hard-wired survival orientation.
When the Primitive Brain’s defensive,
survival programs engage; people who are one
of "Them" are viewed as a threat.
Empathy, understanding, and open communication
are replaced by territoriality, prejudice,
power games, and protectionistic gambits.
Creativity
Studies on creativity show undeniably that
a low threat environment is essential for creative
thought (Martindale,1990; Russ, 1993). When
people are feeling threatened, their thought
process becomes rigid and tradition bound,
both Reptilian Brain qualities. Furthermore,
when stressed, the mind becomes focused on
the stressor. This prevents divergent thinking
- the ability to broaden one’s perspective
to include less obvious associations and possibilities,
which is the hallmark of creative thought (Martindale,
1990; Russ, 1993).
Studies on uncontrollable stressors have shown
that people in situations of uncontrollable
stress demonstrate very shallow, simplistic
thought processes (Pennebaker, 1990). Other
studies have linked uncontrollable stressors
to a subsequent decrease in cognitive abilities
(Seligman,1972).
As a way to defend against trauma, some people
develop a thinking style which prevents them
from intellectually and emotionally acknowledging
the pain of their experiences. This results
in thought processes which are concrete, superficial,
and unimaginative (Pennebaker,1990); hardly
the breeding ground of creative breakthroughs.
At the most basic intellectual level, trauma
strips a person of their creative capacity.
Total Quality Management
TQM requires workers to have both a high level
of functioning and commitment. An ability to
see the big picture, a recognition of process,
and a commitment to customer satisfaction are
a few of the necessary ingredients for successful
TQM implementation. Because of the cognitive
deficits brought about by trauma induced downshifting;
the more conceptual, lofty ideas become unimportant
and probably unfathomable.
Traumatized workers are focused on survival;
not on long range plans or other people’s
well-being. They are like the drowning person
who is so frantic, they pull their would be
rescuer underwater. The drowning person’s
typical altruism or empathy isn’t available
in their overwhelmed, terrified state. They
are interested in, and can focus on, only one
thing - survival.
With the inability to conceptualize due to
downshifting and the primal drive for individual
survival activated, traumatized workers are
not in a position to contribute to, or make
use of, the kinds of paradigm and process shifts
advocated in TQM.
Team Approaches
The interpersonal arena is often the most challenging
aspect of work for people. Dealing effectively
with another person who has a different communication
style, unresolved personal issues, and their
own agenda requires exceptional communication
skills. Even more demanding than dealing with
another person is dealing with several people
simultaneously. Effective team work requires
a person to be at their interpersonal best.
With the increased use of teams, more workers
are finding themselves in demanding interpersonal
situations requiring excellent communication
skills.
When we are stressed, we are far from our interpersonal
best. When overwhelmed, we slip into the survival
mentality characteristic of downshifting. Our
interpersonal style is more likely to be defensive,
protectionistic, and paranoid (Bernstein and
Rozen,1989). This interpersonal style certainly
doesn’t lend itself to positive human
interactions.
Qualities which lead to productive interactions:
being vulnerable, honest, and open are not
part of the survival communication repertoire.
With this interpersonal orientation, the traumatized
worker is guaranteed to fail in a team setting.
This failure will be another example of their
inability to act effectively; furthering their
sense of low self-efficacy and minimal control
over their world, leading to further stress.
The Learning Organization
By now it’s probably evident that trauma
wreaks havoc on an organization’s efforts
to create life long learning environments.
An environment which results in downshifting
can’t facilitate the development of integrative
learning and the accumulation of wisdom. Even
if the workplace environment is a positive
one, the cumulative effects of employees’ previous
trauma need to be addressed. Without treating
employee trauma, only a fraction of a workforce’s
intellectual and creative abilities will be
accessed.
What Can We Do?
Educate decision makers about the price they
and their workers pay - This is the most important
step. Unless decision makers are cognizant
of how trauma affects their employees and their
bottom line, the following suggestions will
not be acted upon. Some of the ideas listed
below are not new or original. However, as
we all know, many organizations don’t
follow them because it’s leaders do not
believe they are necessary. By articulating
how trauma affects a person’s intellectual,
creative, productive, and interpersonal capabilities;
workplace wellness consultants can provide
the important link between the "why" and
the "how" of trauma prevention.
Help the organization develop clear, open communication;
especially during times of significant change
- Because the degree of unpredictability and
uncertainty influences how traumatic a stressor
is, measures which reduce both factors minimize
the negative effects of major change. The more
information workers have about what is going
on, the more in control they feel. As decades
of research has shown, the more in control
a person feels, the less affected they are
by potentially traumatic incidents.
Help management learn how to deal with discussing
difficult subjects - Most people do not like
to be the "bearer of bad news". Managers,
feeling uncomfortable with telling workers
about unpleasant workplace developments, are
often reluctant to bring up such topics. When
they don’t get discussed and employees
are left in the dark, the sense of unpredictability
and uncertainty only makes the situation worse.
Help management develop clear connections between
cause and effect - Efforts which result in
no positive outcome and rewards which aren’t
the direct result of effort lead to a sense
of helplessness. The person learns what they
do doesn’t really make a difference,
whether it is positive or negative. Their good
efforts make no difference, their rewards have
nothing to do with their effort. There is no
sense of "If I do x, y will happen. If
I do w instead of x, z will happen instead
of y." Research has demonstrated that
undeserved rewards can be just as damaging
as unrewarded efforts in creating the sense
of helplessness and disempowerment (Seligman,
1972).
Encourage the organization to invest in employee
self-efficacy - Because a person’s self-efficacy
plays such a significant role in whether a
stressor is traumatic or merely a challenge;
improving employee self-efficacy pays big dividends.
Training and personal development programs
which impacts on a person’s self-image,
self-esteem, and self-efficacy will help minimize
the odds that employees will feel overwhelmed
and impotent in the face of challenges.
Encourage the organization to invest in employee
resiliency training - Besides general self-efficacy
training; aerobic exercise, adventure based
learning, and other challenging forms of mental
and physical exercise provide the framework
for developing emotional and physical resiliency,
a core personal attribute which minimizes the
effects of trauma.
Help workers expand their employment options
- This may sound heretical, but the more confident
employees are about their career options and
marketability, the less time and energy will
be diverted to worrying about their future.
If they feel confident of their marketability,
they can focus their attention on doing a good
job, not on what they will do if they lose
their job.
Teach interpersonal skills to both management
and front line workers - With our interpersonally
more demanding workplace, communication skill
training is not a luxury. Nor is it just for
managers. Besides producing more effective
interactions, excellent interpersonal skills
minimize the chance that emotionally distressed
people will interact counterproductively with
their co-workers. Since much of the stress
in the workplace is interpersonally generated,
helping people improve in this area will reduce
a significant source of emotional wear and
tear.
Help employees develop an emotional support
system - Having a strong emotional support
system reduces the negative impact of stressors.
At the organizational level, this means creating
a climate where it is acceptable to not always "have
it together", be in control, know the
answer, etc. Policies which reduce career/family
conflicts also address this issue by minimizing
the potential of home problems exacerbating
work problems. Consultants can help individuals
recognize the importance of a support system
and develop the interpersonal skills necessary
to create and maintain one.
Encourage the organization to invest in change
management training for all employees - Since
the rapid rate of change is rated as the top
stressor for people, helping people at all
levels deal with change will minimize the stress
level throughout the organization.
Seeing These Principles In Action
Open Book Management embodies many of the principles
presented in this article. This grass roots
revolution has captured the imagination of
the business community because of its common
sense approach and its effectiveness (Case,
1995). In the Open Book Management environment,
employees have control over their fate. As
previously mentioned, control is perhaps the
most important characteristic of an empowering,
non-traumatizing workplace. In workplaces which
use this approach, employees aren’t just
told they are empowered or taught the latest
techniques of excellence. They are provided
a context and the tools to orchestrate change,
influence their financial future, and determine
if what they are doing is working.
With employees having access to the financials,
they have clear information about the current
status of their organization’s financial
health and direct feedback about the effects
of their decisions. Thus, uncertainty and unpredictability
is minimized. The direct relationship between
cause and effect is clear. Employees can see
the effects of their choices and actions. Rather
than wondering if the newest management fad
will bring better results, they can directly
track their results.
They can also see why specific changes are
needed; it is there in the numbers (Case,1995).By
having access to this information, and getting
the training necessary to understand it, employees
experience empowerment born of knowing about
cause and effect, and having the power to act
upon this knowledge. They aren’t just
told they make a difference. They have the
knowledge, tools, and processes in place to
do so. Because they develop the tools to assess
their situation and respond effectively, they
develop self-efficacy. This increases their
ability to "rise to the occasion" when
challenges occur, rather than be confused and
overwhelmed.
In such a collaborative environment, workers
have a built-in support system and a context
which promotes discussion and sharing of challenges
and difficulties. No one needs to hide from
the truth, the truth is recognized as necessary
for successful problem diagnosis and implementation
of strategy.
Although every aspect of Open Book Management
might not be possible in some organizations,
the principles it embodies dramatically demonstrates
how the same workforce which had performed
poorly in a traumatizing, disempowering workplace
climate can perform with excellence in an empowering
workplace climate.
Summary
Trauma impacts every aspect of an employee’s
emotional well-being and productivity. Workplace
wellness consultants can provide a tremendous
service to the organizations they serve by
helping them recognize the sources and effects
of trauma. By broadening their perspective
to include Cumulative Emotional Trauma, consultants
can provide more comprehensive assistance to
organizations in recognizing the sources of
trauma in their workplace.
By recognizing and addressing the many less
dramatic stressors, organizations can take
action to prevent and treat trauma before the
effects become catastrophic. By creating a
workplace which does not traumatize its workers;
employers can not only reduce the tremendous
cost of trauma, they can also help access more
of their employee’s latent creative and
productive potential.
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About the Author: David Lee is an internationally recognized authority on organizational and managerial practices that optimize employee performance. He is the author of Managing Employee Stress and Safety, as well as dozens of articles on employee and organizational performance that have been published in trade journals and books in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. For information on his programs and service, click here.
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