Making Decisions and Perception

Workplace behaviors reflect a combination of individual personality and the environmental context. We each have a personal schema about ourselves, others, and social norms (Arvinen-Muondo, n.d., p. 4). My perceptions of situations frequently influence the way I react to specific situations. Often, I misinterpret the words or actions of others and have learned the importance of gaining clarity through clear communications. Unfortunately, clear communication is not always possible in an organization like mine, in which there is an organizational hierarchy in spite of its being a small company.

Ours is a small private ambulance service, and I serve as a medic. We are the core personnel and yet often medics are treated with less respect than they could be. As Duggan (n.d.) points out, unfamiliar or ambiguous situations tend to trigger stress and difficulties communicating in the workplace. One behavior I have exhibited strictly due to my perception of ambiguity is displaying a belligerent attitude towards dispatchers and to a lesser degree, managers.

I notice that I become upset -- characterized by increased heart rate and feelings of anger or resentment. Verbally, I might make sarcastic comments or in some situations, speak as little as possible because I know that if I do say something, I might say it in anger and regret it later. My colleagues share the feeling that we are being exploited, which helps in the sense of encouraging camaraderie and solidarity but does not help in terms of minimizing the belligerent attitude.

We will complain to each other, and to our immediate supervisors, but we have learned that these complaints do not help change the organization's policies. Mainly, the behavior occurs when we are expected to forego food or short breaks during busy periods. Instead of hiring additional personnel or timing shifts more effectively, both the managers and the dispatchers unfairly pressure medics to work beyond the amount we should work to ensure optimal safety while we work.

The way the organization is structured, medics do not have the ability to provide input or feedback. In fact, even the supervisors have little say in changing the policies and procedures. There have been some situations in which we have made poor decisions because we were overworked and had not eaten. Because we perceive our sense of duty is to the client even more than to the supervisors or dispatchers, we might be making our decisions for the right reasons, even though we believe that management is not behaving appropriately.

Another behavior that I have exhibited due to my perception is more of a positive reaction to stress. All medics in our line of work must be able to work under pressure, as that is the nature of the job. Therefore, when a new call comes in, I feel a sort of adrenaline rush, which causes me to work harder and more efficiently so that I can take care of as many calls as possible.

I notice that I intuitively triage situations, prioritizing critical matters first so that our resources are not stretched too thin. Therefore, my perception of urgency leads to behaviors that are responsible and responsive. As Bigelow (n.d.) points out, "a manager may be so detail-oriented and anxious that she's perceived as not trusting her employees to do their jobs," (p. 1). Because I perceive my manager as not trusting employees to do their jobs, my behaviors have become reactive rather than proactive.