Articles

Never Be Blindsided Again

September 26, 2017 (Number 72) In the world of organizations, I frequently hear of people indulging in subtly aggressive conduct that leaves colleagues feeling both harmed and aggrieved.  Typically, the “victim” never sees it coming – and by the time he realizes he’s been blindsided, it’s too late.

The offending action may be as simple as the casual utterance of a few words, outside the victim’s presence, that immediately discredits her in the eyes of a key decision-maker.  Or perhaps the target of the misdeed finds himself inexplicably excluded from a key meeting.

It’s not that those behind such activities are “bad people.”  Rather, their actions generally arise spontaneously from the survival instincts deeply rooted in what’s known as the reptilian brain.  And in organizational life, the survival instinct is usually highly active.  Easily triggered by any sense of threat, it generates nearly automatic reactions intended to “neutralize” the source of potential harm.

Could it be that people around you sometimes perceive you as a threat – and therefore occasionally take a swipe at you?  Consider the following measures to protect yourself:

• Be vigilantly alert about how you might pose a danger to others – and who or what groups, specifically, may be threatened by you.  For example, diligently reflect on whose jobs become less secure, whose power, influence or prospects in the organization may be diminished, or whose self-esteem may suffer, due to your activities.

• Next, reach out to these people to demonstrate you are less of a danger than they may fear.  Even if you can’t completely eliminate the risks to them resulting from your stances and actions, your transmission of goodwill and kind intent will lessen the likelihood they’ll want to attack you.

• Finally, consider if you may have been acting on your own survival instincts at someone else’s expense.  After all, interpersonal tensions are usually bidirectional and in the workplace, they can quickly get quite primal and dangerous.  Therefore, instead of ruminating about who “started it,” urgently resolve any friction with coworkers.

The operation of the survival instinct is a fact of organizational life.  Rather than meeting these energies with judgment and disdain, meet them with respect for their power – and with equal respect for the vulnerability that gives rise to them.  This is crucial for being an effective and mature leader.

Dean Herman, Ph.D.