Oracle Database Tips by Donald Burleson

Implement Anger Management

Computer professionals justify their anger against co-workers and the employer for numerous reasons such as:

• There is a perception of being mistreated or wronged by the employer or other individuals. This is referred to as the poor me syndrome where the employee feels they are under attack.

• The employee claims the right of response to disagreement with IS and company policies.

• The IT professional believes their feelings of powerlessness and loss of control must be addressed by their own volition.

• The individual's cause is good and will counter the perceived threat.

• The IT employee was told to commit the actions. Of course, this line of thinking may be the result of a legitimate directive that has been misconstrued. These employees may have character disorders and sometimes do not deal with others at face value, performing their manipulations behind the scenes. It is very difficult to address their anger since they hide it very well, even to the point of being dishonest with the IT manager and others.

• The computer professional claims he or she acted in anger because other people were doing it. Tactfully remind the employee that one bad act does not deserve another. People need to think for themselves and about what is right, not about overlooking good behavior to feel a false sense of acceptance by the work group.

• Anger in the workplace is inflicted to hurt another individual or the employer. The perpetrator creates a reason that justifies punishment against other parties with whom he or she has issues.

• IT employees may become angry with themselves but take out their anger on others. An employee may become frustrated when he or she makes a mistake and this frustration leads to internal tension and stress that, subsequently, gets released at the expense of others.

• The acting out of anger becomes more acceptable to the offending employee as the behavior is repeated and not addressed by IT management. This comfort with displacing anger and attaining the intended results will likely escalate to more frequent and severe negative behavior.

• Computer professionals may enter into denial that their actions are actually harming others when they become angry, and so the behavior is acceptable in their mind. Since the thought is that nobody really gets hurt, the acts of anger become ritualized.

The above book excerpt is from:

You're Fired! Firing Computer Professionals

The IT manager Guide for Terminating "With Cause"

ISBN 0-9744486-4-8

Robert Papaj 

http://www.rampant-books.com/book_2005_1_firing.htm