Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/your-workplace-an-emotional-battlefield/5009673/
When Barb, a child care director, called, her tense voice told me there was trouble again. "I spent most of this week putting out fires with my infant staff. Ginny, a newly hired aide, told them that I think she doesn't know anything about infants. Although I never said that, she insists that I did. I can't figure out how this misunderstanding occurred," she complained.Barb was describing the kind of struggle I hear from many directors, and something I battled during my years directing a center. Although I could problem solve most staff issues, there were times when people's feelings erupted in confusing ways. Once I learned that many emotion-laden workplace struggles stemmed from unresolved childhood pain, I found ways to overcome the conflicts for both my staff and myself.
Recreating Our Childhood
We bring many of our childhood experiences into our adult world. Sometimes we unconsciously recreate at work the unhealthy behavior patterns that existed in our home-of-origin. "Co-workers become siblings and those in authority take on the role of parent . . . unresolved anger and dependency needs will be played out in their work relationships" (Woititz, 1987).
As I became acquainted with Barb's ...