What is one problem you frequently complain about?
Flexing the Message
· 1. Revisit Structured Exercise 9-1 . Now, ask the following questions of yourself and then act on your responses.
· a. What is one problem you frequently complain about?
· b. Before today, how did you interpret the cause of the problem? How have you blamed others? How have you acted and felt toward them?
· c. In what ways have you dealt with this problem? Are there things you should have done but didn’t? Are there things you shouldn’t have done but did? What is the deep truth about your conduct?
· d. List three people you have affected negatively by your behavior regarding this problem.
· e. Can you describe how both you and the other person blame each other for the problem?
· f. Focus on one of the three people you listed above. What could you do to help that person? What kind of help would they appreciate?
· 2. Contact two police agencies and inquire about their programs or procedures that they use to either prevent or help problem employees. (For example, some police and sheriff’s departments employ or contract for psychological counseling services.)
· 3. Self-deception and self-denial are twin towers of relational disaster. Return to the section on self-deception. Answer the following questions. First, how do you see yourself in your work relationships (e.g., respected and trusted or overworked and unappreciated)? Second, how do you view your co-workers (trustworthy and genuine or liars and fakers)? Think carefully about these two questions.
· 4. In the section “Helping the Problem Employee,” there are a series of recommendations on how to deal with problem employees. What would you add to the list of recommended tactics? Which tactic is least likely to work?
Whatever you identified above, go do it. Do it immediately if at all possible. If it can’t be done immediately, do it as soon as you are able.