Untitled

[mentalsintheworkplace]

Goodbye friends :) 

[mentalsintheworkplace]

Closing Remarks

Well, friends, I believe I answered all your questions about why your coworker/supervisor acts a certain way in your organization. I hope you understand your coworker does not act a certain way because they dislike you. But they are stressed by the particular uncertainty of critical incidents at work that threaten the employee's idealized self-image. The individual uses a specific psychological defensive to cope with the stress and anxiety in the work environment. Now that we have gone through the primary and common psychological defensives types, you should be able to identify the different types in the work environment so you can truly understand why your coworker acts like that. If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and ask me!

[mentalsintheworkplace]

So why do we care?

It is essential to note that an executive who practices this defensive practice threatens the organization. If the organization leader is missing, this leaves a significant leadership gap for employees. Also, if executives are scared to confront employees and can’t resolve problems, leave the staff to fend for themselves. If the executive is distant with their employees, this will lead to mistrust and suspicion among employees developing in a leadership void. In addition to suppressing the conflict and denying that conflict exists produce higher levels of anxiety in the workplace, which is not suitable for the public sector.

[mentalsintheworkplace]

The Characteristics of Resigned Practice

Here is the list of the characteristics in the resigned practice: 

prefers to be left alone and avoids performance goals which are experience as a coercive influence 

constantly avoids being subordinated and is in frequent conflict with authority figures 

is mistrustful of others who are felt to be controlling 

dumps responsibility upon rather than meaningfully delegating it to others 

avoid relationships and competition, preferring rather to be isolated and aloof 

can be nonadoptive, rebellious, and seldom offers any type of leadership 

[mentalsintheworkplace]

A great meme example of the resigned defensive practice in the organization. 

[mentalsintheworkplace]

The Resigned Practice

The final psychological defensive practice type is the resigned practice. An individual in the organization would prefer to be left alone and feel that the attempts by others to get them to take charge, direct their work, or get them involved are coercive. This employee also prefers if others work it out for themselves and do not want to take responsibility for their withdrawal from the others in the organization.

This defensive mechanism happens when an unable experience an idealized expansive or resigned in a dependent way. The person withdraws themselves from consistent participation in operations and workplace relationships by physically and emotionally distancing from painful aspects of the organizational life when they encounter distressing organizational events. This forces them to take flight from stressful circumstances. The individual runs away to seek emotional shelter and hide from the coercive intentions of others. The employee represses the self and psychologically withdraws from themselves, others, stressful workplace events, and work-life in general.  

[mentalsintheworkplace]

So why should we care?

Someone who uses the narcissistic defensive practice should not be executive-level position. Because the person can misjudge their limitation and be involved in the organization in risky or maybe even illegal ventures that go over their duties and administration role. This can put the company in danger. The supervisors can even tend to ignore the department rules and procedures and participate in unethical practices. This can be extremely dangerous, especially in the public sector. The public sector plays an essential role in citizens, and employees are there only to serve the public and enrich their lives.

Also, a supervisor who uses the narcissistic defensive depletes the staff of energy to feel good. Since they are pouring their energy into their supervisor to make sure they feel excellent and excessive demands of self-aggrandizement. It also brings additional stress in the work environment because the staff is anxious about being the narcissistic scapegoat when things go wrong. Working in the public sector can be rigid and stressful, so adding an individual does not help anyone and hurts the public since the employees are depleted from their supervisor. This is why it is important to know to point out these defensive mechanisms in the workforce.

[mentalsintheworkplace]

The Characteristics of the Narcissistic Practice

We all probably all have our own idea of what a narcissistic is. However, I want to remind you that this defensive used in the workplace to mitigate stress from the environment. But here is the clear list of the characteristics of the narcissistic practice: 

projects an image of self confidence and demands admiration and loyalty from others 

dreamer and risk taker but prefers to avoid the details of actually carrying out the work 

develops big ideas and plans which are accompanied by boundless energy 

often works on many projects and may shift from one to other without bringing any fruition 

can be manipulative autocratic and scapegoat others when problems occur  

[mentalsintheworkplace]

A narcissistic is a pathological liar who will lie about anything and everything for the sole purpose of gloating

Anonymous

[mentalsintheworkplace]

The Narcissistic Practice

SO I am back with identifying another defensive practice, and today will be about narcissistic defensive in the workplace. Someone in the workforce who uses this defensive would take responsibility when that claim reinforces his or her need for adoration and self-aggrandizement. The narcissistic individual also frequently takes on responsibility for everyone and everything in the belief that they can only handle the work; however, they abandon the outcome if things do not go well. They used responsibility as a platform for good propagation but don’t know what it takes to complete the work. When something goes wrong, the individual denies taking responsibility for their actions. They will also not admit to a careless mistake or acknowledge they have been misled by a hand-picked, admiring, unquestioning, and loyal follower.

This behavior can originate from childhood when approval may be withheld or manipulated to control the child from not developing healthy good self feelings and good self-esteem. He or she can become dependent on what others think of them. The narcissistic defensive behavior comes from wanting to feel as the universe revolves around him or her. The stress can cause by the uncertainty of critical incidents at work experience is a threat to the employee self-image. Also, change and problems in well-established roles in the work environment can cause stress to the individual as well.

[mentalsintheworkplace]

If you haven’t guessed it yet, the next defensive practice that will talk through is the narcissistic practice.

[mentalsintheworkplace]

The Characteristics of the Arrogant-Vindictive Practice

Here is a clear list of characteristics for the arrogant-vindictive practice to help identify if you have a coworker who uses this defensive which are 

highly competitive and must win all encounters at any cost 

intent upon defeating and humiliating others who harm arrogant pride 

usual expectations of ethical and moral behavior may be put aside in pursuit of victory 

deceitful and manipulative as needed to win 

suspicious of others who are often felt to be a threat

does not delegate and contemptuous of others 

may openly wish to replace a superior 

paralyzes others with a fear by being intimidating 

[mentalsintheworkplace]

So why should we care?

I hope you do not have coworkers who behave like this in the public sector. Still, if you do, it is essential to know, especially in a bureaucratic organization, that an arrogant individual's behavior can be misperceived. Instead, the behavior can be seen as dynamic and taken charge by the top management, and they can reward the individual with a promotion. This can ultimately be problematic by giving this individual more power and responsibility. It is essential to know about the difference between having a person whose personality is dynamic and benefits the work environment instead of an individual using this defensive practice to put people down and adds anxiety in the workforce.

[mentalsintheworkplace]

What it probably feels like when you when interact with your coworker who uses a arrogant-vindictive defensive practice in your organization. 

[mentalsintheworkplace]

Arrogant- Vindictive Practice

If you are still here, I believe you are still trying to see if your coworker has been identified yet. The defensive practice I am discussing is the arrogant-vindictive practice. This practice is similar to the perfectionist defensive practice with individuals identifying as the idealized self. A reminder this person views themselves as all-knowing and powerful and believes that only he or she can design, do, or supervise the work properly and therefore be in absolute control. So in a work environment, the employee would have an arrogant and superior attitude toward others who are seen as inferior. If anyone challenges, the arrogant-vindictive individual will be targeted with vindictive aggression and would not stop at any cost. Winning is the only time that matters for the individual. A vindictive aggression individual in the workforce may seem self-righteous, greatly offended, and feel empowered to do whatever is needed to vindicate the harm done, regain control, and set things right. This aggression typically frightens coworkers to confront the person. 

The behavior originally stems from the individual feeling that he or she is not likeable which can be originate from their childhood being view as an unlovable child. There now they have nothing to lose by bullying, intimidating and alienating others. The person normally acts in this behavior because they are in an executive position in a bureaucratic organization and are intimidated. Their staff will evaluate them against the perfect standards and then use their job and the organization's resources to advance to get ahead, even or better. In the workforce, it would like an individual manipulating and aggressive information to achieve and maintain power. The arrogant-vindictive perceives coworkers as adversaries who must be defeated, creating a hostile and competitive work setting. This ultimately encourages coworkers to view each other with mistrust and suspicion, which can turn to paranoia that someone ascends over them and provokes new anxiety and arrogant-vindictive behavior. 

[mentalsintheworkplace]

Bureaucratic institutions bring out the worst in people

Seth Allcorn and Michael A. Diamond  

[mentalsintheworkplace]

So why should we care?

It’s important to know that with the perfectionist defensive practice, the pursuit of perfection and the denial of imperfection (covering it up) promotes defensiveness between the management and staff and the avoidance of learning needed to improve the organizational performance. In the public sector, having an effective performance review in the organization is important, especially with the performance reviews used more frequently as a promotion tool. Also, employees have a boss expecting perfection, which is unobtainable, and this results in employees being severely frustrated with their supervisor for putting unrealistic expectations on employees.