HOW TO THINK ABOUT AN X FACTOR


HOW TO THINK ABOUT AN "X" FACTOR

Decades ago, physicians knew that putting leeches on people made them well ” visible leeches created visible healings. If the patient died, it was because the leeches were not used properly. Many decades ago physicians wondered why people got sick. An invisible microbe was often the culprit. When microbes were discovered many people were healed. Scientists created antibiotics and people started to get well. Then people began dying from antibiotic usage. The scientific war between the seen and the unseen had begun.

Now, science knows that not all microbes are bad and cause disease and in fact some are useful and necessary. In the same light, not all emotions at work cause spins . Some emotions, even strong ones, can be very helpful. Some emotions, even slight , are morbid and will kill the organism of the work site. Some emotions are neutral to the work site.

In human bodies the equilibrium between good and bad microbes creates a condition called homeostasis. Homeostasis is a balance necessary for the human system to stay healthy . Homeostasis protects continuity of life. Emotional Continuity Management is a bit like trying to maintain homeostasis in the body. Homeostasis in the workplace is a goal that doesn't mean purging the system of everything challenging or stopping change. It means balancing the necessary elements to maintain equilibrium. The X factors contribute to the equilibrium or disequilibrium of the balancing elements.

To understand the simple basics of how X factors contribute to spins, you can look into the world of emotions like a scientist who has a hunch that microbe exist. Mental health experts spend their days stomping around in the Petri dishes of human emotions and many of them have only a cursory understanding of the X factors in change. So, don't be intimidated by any perceived lack of education or training you think you may have or think you may be missing. Everyone is on a learning curve. You may believe you cannot stand in the shoes of a mental health professional or psychologist , but rest assured, very few of them have ever had the competency and courage to stand in your shoes in the middle of a chaotic company spin! Be brave, and jump on in. Start reading and researching the X factors so you can do what managers do best, go where angels fear to tread, into the midst of the emotional response of your employees . Leadership is part of your job description. X factors are the parts that make up the whole.

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Case Example

Sallie fell in love with Roger whodrove an old beat-up green truck. Sallie had never noticed green trucks prior to her romance. Now she was aware of all trucks, especially green trucks. Her perception had changed to include all green trucks as potentially Roger's truck. She had no idea there were so many green trucks that did not belong to Roger. Because she had her first sexual experience in a green truck and since their recent violent breakup, she spent what amounted to several hours a day absent-mindedly scanning the parking lot and highway outside her office window looking for green trucks. All green vehicles emotionally distracted her and her productivity fell off the mark. The new company vehicle was a green truck.

Learning Byte

Sallie had a meeting with her manager, an older woman who was a good mentor. The manager helped Sallie refocus and encouraged her to get some more support to deal with her breakup. Sallie returned to her church and resolved her perception that all green trucks were associated with her dramatic experience with Roger.

DO THIS: Know that people see things differently.

DON'T: Argue about perceptions. Negotiate with people by asking about their perceptions, sharing yours, and then exploring alternative perceptions before problem solving.

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Perception is an X factor that can drive emotions. Perception is based on an extremely complex set of other X factors including physiology, psychology, biology and symbolism. People perceive they have a level of control over their corner of the universe. If that changes, they perceive danger or threat. If they perceive a solution the threat diminishes. If they perceive a threat continuing, they demonstrate a number of very interesting reactions and responses. Those reactions become independent variables , or X factors. Some perceptions can be changed some cannot be changed. Perceptions are fluid so they can change and also be hidden, disguised, reformatted, ignored, rearranged into an attractive package, given different names , and have different meanings.

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Case Example

Fiona had worked for HJC Incorporated since it opened. She was proud of her longevity. She clung to her perception that her longevity protected her from being fired . She knew she wasn't the fastest or brightest on the team, but was certain her contribution of time and seniority kept her a vital force. She was occasionally intimidated by new technological advances and leaned heavily on her sense of historic direction and mission for the organization. In January, the new management team advised the CEO that it would "perk up the image" which included a redesign for the logo and the letterhead. The team designed and proposed new graphics and gave excellent fiscal predictions to rationalize the change. Fiona perceived this as a personal attack because she had helped design the original logo and letterhead. She began to suspect she was being "edged out" by the new people. Her unwarranted suspicions led her to being less positive at meetings, increased her isolation, and she began to create her own self-fulfilling prophecy as people began to perceive her as "getting older and crankier." She became more rigid. The logo now became a symbol for her and the management. It took on a dimension that had nothing to do with Fiona but now was almost mythologically linked with the "old timers" and the "new guys."

Learning Byte

Management erred by not seeing this change in a historic perspective. They assumed change was something that everyone valued. This X factor resulted in the loss of loyalty from Fiona, which translated into lost time, antagonism, and tension in the company. The problem was not the change, but that no one bothered to inquire as to how that change might influence people. A simple Emotional Continuity Management adjustment in process, such as interviewing Fiona about her experience with the last re-design, or a "blurb" in an office memo or newsletter, would have given Fiona a sense of belonging that may have more easily translated into a win-win increase in loyalty.

DO THIS: Respect and honor the perceptions of others.

DON'T: Dismiss your perceptions while you are respecting and honoring those of others. Both of you might be correct.

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Case Example

Joshua was offered a promotion. Everyone was surprised when he turned it down and rumors started to surface that he was leaving the company.

Learning Byte

Joshua was a good employee. He was also self aware enough to know his Personal Field State wasn't stable enough to take on the extra responsibilities. He was just recovering from a personal relationship problem and he was also working on getting his elderly parents into an assisted living situation. He didn't feel creative or organized beyond what his duties were at current levels.

DO THIS: Begin communications from a position of assuming people's perceptions are correct, for them.

DON'T: Label a perception as incorrect. Stay open in order to experience understanding the perception of someone else who can see something from a completely different angle than you.

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Case Example

The company was considering a merger. The expectation was that the business would make the business more visible.

Learning Byte

Management did a survey to find out how people felt about becoming more visible and how they felt about dealing with the media. The survey discovered only four employees had any concerns because the company expectations of growth were clearly part of the mission statement. Management offered the four employees additional support and training to deal with some unresolved feelings of insecurity. Three employees felt insecurity about some technology changes. One employee felt insecure because she didn't know the expectations. When she found out she would have time to learn she relaxed .

DO THIS: Help people grieve their perceptions if they need to change.

DON'T: Avoid taking the time to help people see the big picture and the details while giving them time to readjust their perceptions to the current agenda. If it isn't life threatening there is no hurry.

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Emotional Terrors in the Workplace. Protecting Your Business' Bottom Line. Emotional Continuity Management in the Workplace
Emotional Terrors in the Workplace: Protecting Your Business Bottom Line - Emotional Continuity Management in the Workplace
ISBN: B0019KYUXS
EAN: N/A
Year: 2003
Pages: 228

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