MINES Newsletter

Source: McClure, L. (n.d.). Diagnosing Your Workplace for Symptoms of Violence. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from the Epotech database. Printer-friendly version Newsletter back issues Managers and employees can assess behaviors that might mean danger. If you've been wondering about the risk of employee violence in your workplace, you can assess the risk and take steps to reduce it, whether you're a manager, supervisor or worker.

Based on research and experience, a behavioral framework has been developed that managers and employees can use to make such assessments. Some popular methods designed to help managers detect red flags rely too heavily on demographics, such as age, race and gender. In contrast, this framework is based on observable and measurable behavior.

Three criteria are used to assess the degree of risk:

• How many high-risk behaviors an employee exhibits
• How often the employee exhibits the behaviors
• How intensely the employee exhibits the behaviors

The higher an employee's behavior registers in all three categories, the greater the risk of violence.

Prevention is the goal, of course. But early intervention also improves the quality of life in your workplace. At a time when good employees are hard to find and keep, a positive and productive work environment is a big asset.

Here are the eight high-risk behaviors to watch for in employees:

• Actors behave mostly on the basis of their emotions. These employees slam doors or pound their desks rather than talk about emotions or dealing with the source of their anger. These workers might overreact to situations and people, instead of having broad perspectives or problem-solving approaches.
• Fragmentors see no connection between actions and results. These employees see events as fragmented, like a series of isolated slides, instead of how past events led to what's happening now and what will happen. Fragmentors may fail to finish their part of projects, without accepting any responsibility for when projects fail.
• Me-firsts focus almost exclusively on their own needs. Me-firsts act without regard for the needs of the team, company or customers. These employees might blame others instead of taking responsibility for problems, or take breaks when it suits them instead of waiting until appropriate times.
• Wooden sticks approach life inflexibly. These employees demand perfection instead of working out reasonable compromises. They try to control events rather than let things unfold. Wooden sticks insist that things be done "my way or no way."
• Mixed messengers behave in passive-aggressive ways. These employees get even without acknowledging problems instead of letting others know about bothersome acts. Mixed messengers manipulate people by hinting or referring indirectly to what they want. These employees expect failures and let them occur instead of finding ways toward success. They may talk like they're team players, but refuse to cooperate with other team members.
• Escape artists avoid reality. These employees relieve stress with alcohol, drugs or other activities. Escape artists keep people at a distance instead of developing healthy work relationships. These employees might lie to others.
• Shockers have behaviors that change suddenly and dramatically. In these cases, depressed employees suddenly appear joyful instead of recovering gradually; generally content employees suddenly appear withdrawn or depressed. Reliable and productive employees who start showing up late while their performance declines show this kind of behavior. These workers might do things that are out of character, often something that's dangerous or extreme.
• Strangers behave in remote or withdrawn ways. These employees are obsessed with plans. They could be remote employees who become agitated and obsessive, or extremely withdrawn employees who become convinced that coworkers are out to get them.

Each of the eight high-risk behaviors, and combinations of them, may be demonstrated in a variety of ways. Consider this scenario:

Alexis, a manager at a large high-tech firm, was concerned about Juan, who reports to her. She had learned that many of Juan's colleagues were afraid of him. The only things employees would say, however, were that "Juan makes me nervous," "Juan gives me the creeps" or give vague descriptions of their feelings. Alexis conceded that she had the same feelings. But she had nothing tangible to document or act upon.

When Alexis learned about the framework described above, she immediately listed examples of Juan's frequent high-risk behaviors and identified the categories they fit into:

• Throws objects against a wall; yells at people; changes from good moods to bad moods unexpectedly - actor behaviors
• Demands that things be done his way; argues about trying new methods - wooden-stick behaviors
• Takes breaks whenever he wants; interrupts others when they talk; insists on being first for everything - me-first behaviors

When her employees learned about high-risk behaviors, they gave Alexis examples that fit the same three categories - plus one more:

• Takes messages but fails to give them to the right people; promises to take care of something but then forgets - mixed-messenger behaviors

Using the three criteria, Alexis noted that:

• Juan demonstrated at least four high-risk categories
• He exhibited these behaviors often
• He was intense when he carried out these behaviors

Alexis and Juan's coworkers now had a structure to describe Juan's behaviors. As manager, Alexis had the documentation she needed to take action.

If you're an employee in this type of situation, you should notify your manager about Juan's high-risk behavior. If you're the manager, you should do what Alexis did:

• Talk to Juan about the inappropriateness of his behavior without saying anything about a potential risk of violence.
• Require training or counseling through the company's employee assistance program, or both, depending on the details.
• Use the company's disciplinary procedures appropriately.

Alexis followed these steps with Juan. Although he resisted at first, Juan attended some skill-building workshops and saw a professional counselor. His behavior at work improved, and his coworkers gradually accepted him as a team member. He became a more productive and positive contributor to the organization.

Although most of these efforts bring positive results, managers must be prepared to fire employees if high-risk behaviors continue or escalate. Coworkers' alertness - combined with these observable and measurable behavior categories - can alert managers and support their efforts.

About MINES & Associates

For over 25 years MINES & Associates has been a nationally recognized business psychology firm that provides a variety of services to corporate employers including employee assistance programs (EAP), managed mental healthcare, organizational development and psychology services, wellness programs, behavioral risk management, disease management, PPO services, and a number of other technology based services. MINES & Associates is divided into two main divisions, Organizational Psychology and Health Psychology, and currently serves a diverse portfolio of clients in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, and the UK.

Please log on to http://www.minesandassociates.com for the latest news and information on MINES & Associates.

Click here for back issues.