Why are Businesses Still Wasting Too Much Time, Money and Energy Tackling Relational Distress?
Sara Keshavarz-moqadam, Ph.D.
Clinical, Health, Organizational Psychologist,
Posted on Mar 14, 2024
Scenario
Consider employees who always agree with all ideas and decisions discussed in formal and informal meetings. They have no explicit challenge in their relationships with managers and other employees, but they show a kind of repetitive passive-aggressive behavior, followed by apology, excusing, and victimization, which unconsciously makes the manager convinced by giving them another chance!
A good illustration of this kind of behavior is procrastination in accomplishing the delegated tasks or ignoring the mutual goals, values, and criteria that were strongly agreed upon. This employee may approach the supervisor/manager with strong shame and provide justifications for their dismissive behaviors, which can easily convince the supervisor/manager. The worst-case scenario may be reducing the expectation from this employee as a result of their conscious/unconscious destructive behavioral pattern! This employee slightly hinders the organization from reaching the ultimate goal in the long run, severely affecting the whole system.
It may be an unconscious but familiar pattern that repeatedly occurs in all organizational settings, and the supervisor/manager may underestimate the enormous costs of this minor defensive behavior over a long-term period!
Here is the place where the Psychological Aspects of relationships play a pivotal role in organizational success.
We, as organizational, clinical, and health psychologists, are here to redefine the business problem and see the underlying root of unproductive performance from relational and psychological aspects. Even if you have hired highly educated, well-experienced, and talented employees, you cannot guarantee organizational success without considering the psychological aspects of human relations!
You may spend substantial compensation costs for costly solutions such as expensive leadership training, Costly Performance Improvement Plans, long, unproductive and emotionally draining conversations while the problem is still there, which can lay the foundation for organizational loss in the long run!
According to organizational psychology research , smart leaders balance three aspects of the triangle: tasks, the process of accomplishing a task, and relational dynamics.
Considering the evidence discussed in the above paragraphs, you can perform as a successful leader if you pay attention to the underlying principles of relational dynamic manifesting in employees' nonverbal behavior and their interpersonal interactions.
Being able to identify destructive behavioral patterns and feeling equipped to address those patterns before they spread to the rest of the team.
To make cohesive teamwork, it is vitally important for leaders to increase their psychological knowledge and skills in identifying and clarifying subordinates' destructive behavioral patterns and addressing them effectively. If it happens, these leaders can balance three aspects of the triangle, resulting in increased well-being, productivity, and quality of work, as well as organizational success and profitability.
Stay tuned for our next blog, in which we will explore beneficial steps you can take to define your business issues and resolve them better through the lens of a psychological approach.
About the Author: Sara Keshavarz-moqadam believes that the effect of environmental stressors on individual performance is by no means negligible. After studying for a B.A. Clinical, an M.A. General, and a Ph.D. Health Psychology from the University of Tehran and working for many years in these fields, Sara became curious about how to help individuals reach their actual potential. To answer this question, Sara returned to school again and studied for an M.A. Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Adler University to create a novel and holistic approach relying on the principles of clinical, health, and organizational psychology to recognize and address the root causes of problems by focusing on organizational culture, leadership, communication skills, and support system. She is on a mission to improve employees' well-being, happiness, and psychological and physical health to enhance both individual and organizational success.