Strategic Management in a Hostile Environment

Speaking With Hostile Employees This study appreiates the fact that employees have diverse personalities are respond differently when annoyed. It is clear from this sudy that some may respond with exteme hostility even on the slightest provocation. Strategies like the use of humor, resolving differences later and being emphatic are essential in dealing with hostile employees. The key to addressing such cases is by enhancing and promoting a working culture that is based on understanding civil behavior, respect, and constructive conflict.

Speaking With Hostile Employees Behaviors like "venting anger," "letting it out" or "losing it" are no longer considered healthy ways of expressing oneself honestly. We live in a culture where aggression can be the predicted and sometimes an approved response to disappointment, threat, or conflict. This is adversely affecting the workplace and in general employee relationships. The company must be seriously concerned about the issues because aggressive working surroundings are very traumatic and may lower employee performance.

Aggressive individuals like Jones, who can kill group spirit, create anxiety among other workers and take part in sabotage and other dangerous behaviors. This makes possibly intense circumstances that could result in violent and sometimes even aggressive reactions. The following are some techniques and methods that can help deal with the case situation in a constructive manner. Be empathic The change in Jones regular behavior is an essential signal for aggression, and the manager need to know their staff well so that he/she can be sensitive to changes.

Someone who is always structured and organized may become scattered. The manager should talk to Jones pointing out the behavior change in an empathetic manner and then enabling Jones to talk. Another critical facet is the ability to notice changes in Jones body language, showing that he is getting upset. Common indicators include aggressive fixed stare, clenched teeth, dry mouth, sweating, shallow breathing, and general muscle stiffness (England, 2012). As such, it is essential for the manager to evaluate and dissipate the scenario.

This is possibly by pursuing the issue later and not immediately when emotions are still high. Jones could have become aggressive because he might have felt offended, misinterpreted or unheard. Anger management expert, Byrnes recommends the following tips in trying to dissipate possibly explosive circumstances. Confront Jones privately to prevent embarrassment Do not get upset, overreact or act aggressively; these will induce a similar reaction in Jones Pay attention without judgment. Maybe Jones wants the manager to listen to what he has to say.

Validate Jones's emotions or position by mentioning phrases like "that is a good point," or" believe the fact that there is a problem." Help Jones save face during the rage scenario. Do not pounce on a rush verdict or engage in a complicated line of argument If necessary, recommend a delay so that Jones can cool down If necessary, withdraw the case Using Humor "Silly humor" may help prevent anger in various ways. It can assist the manager get a more balanced viewpoint.

Humor can always be trusted to soften a tense scenario. When Jones feels the urge to get angry, the manager can advise him to picture himself as the leader, in charge of the company, striding in his way in the situation. The more detail he gets into imaginary situations, the more changes he will have to learn that maybe he is unreasonable. He can also realize how useless the things he is angry about really are. The use of humor has two cautions.

First, the manager should not try to "laugh off" Jones's problems; instead, he can use humor to help Jones face them constructively. Second, the manager must not give sarcastic, harsh humor; this is another version of unhealthy anger management approach (Jones, 2007). This strategy is founded on the notion of refusing to be too serious. Aggression is a major emotional issue. However, if examined, Jones and the manager laugh can end up laughing.

Motivational discipline Disciplinary methods that handle Jones as a kid who must be punished for breaking workplace rules will not work. Employees who are disciplined using these methods usually react with rage, apathy, or resentment, resulting in a decrease in productivity and morale. In addition, if the manager looks at self-discipline in this way, he will prevent imposing self-discipline because of its agonizing or distressing nature. In the meanwhile, they foster an "anything goes" environment (England, 2012).

Discipline, concentrating on future expectations, is much more efficient than self-discipline, which concentrates on past wrongdoings. The future-focused "you can do it" disciplinary strategy can provide Jones with a beneficial challenge to enhance his behavior. In contrast, a damaging "this is how bad you have been behaving in the past" strategy can confirm Jones's perspective about the futility of his initiatives to change behavior. Instead of correcting Jones's behavior, adverse focused early disciplinary actions become a self-fulfilling prediction.

Jones believes the manager has no trust in his capability to bring his conduct to the standards required and consequently makes no significant attempt to change. Instead, he will just "hang on," until things get so bad that the company decides there is no alternative than to discharge him. Unfortunately, by that time, Jones will have been successful in decreasing the efficiency standard for all the associates he works around (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2009). This strategy is known as "positive" or "motivational" self-discipline.

Instead, it is a method of communicating progressive discipline. As recognized from the more conventional strategy, as beneficial discipline concentrates on individual liability and making decisions instead of disciplinary charges or penalties. This "problem-solving" strategy to discipline is based upon the idea that Jones is a grownup who prefers success to failure.