The Hidden Costs
of Trauma In The Workplace
By David Lee
Reprinted from EAPA
Exchange
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.
To 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:
·
Intellectual
abilities
·
Creativity
·
Productivity
·
Ability
to manage change
·
Response
to diversity
·
Interpersonal
capabilities
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) .
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 a consultant, speaker, and executive coach.
The founder of HumanNature@Work, he has worked with organizations and presented
at conferences throughout
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