Difficult Co-Worker learns behaviors from Childhood

PRSA wrote today that difficult co-workers may have learned their behaviors from childhood. The Wall Street Journal originally posted the story.

Because of this, some managers are having to use new techniques to deal with this employees.

According to Sylvia LaFair, a White Haven, Pa., psychologist and leadership coach, there are 13 patterns of office behavior and childhood reasons causing them.

“As the Journal reports, these types include the “persecutor,” who micromanages or abuses others and may have suffered abuse or neglect in childhood. The “avoider” is aware of problems but won’t talk about them, and may have grown up in a judgmental family. The “super-achiever” breeds resentment by walking over other people, and as a child may have been forced to compensate for family shame or tragedy. The “martyr” does his or her own work and everybody else’s too, and then alienates co-workers by complaining. The martyr’s parents may have given up their dreams for the child, who is now repeating the pattern.”

These is an interesting and thoughtful claim. Will these patterns change the way PR is conducted? Now that we can associate “bad moods” from workers in the business environment, will PR gain a new approach toward these employees? How much does this actually affect their personal lives as well? These could be a new theory stirring at our fingertips.

April 26, 2010. PRCA 4335.