THE DYNAMICS IN THE WORKPLACE

 

THE DYNAMICS IN THE WORKPLACE

It’s like being in a constant game of cat or mouse. Don’t you just love office politics!  People jockeying for position, females marking their territory and males flaunting their egos. Opportunists at the ready, waiting for the right time to strike and to take what they feel is rightly there’s.

You have the alpha males, beating their chests, demanding attention and respect, and bullying anyone into submission that doesn’t wish to be one of their followers, or poses a threat to their hierarchical position, whilst the females assert a more subtle form of attention seeking behaviour that is blatant to other females but less obvious to the less perceptive males. The dominant females wrestle with each other as they try to become the most renowned and crave attention and recognition from the males. They criticise, exclude, are derogatory, competitive and manipulate others to their way of thinking as they try to push their ultimate threat out of the way. They become obsessed and jealous of each other, while the rest of us, just look on, little do they know, that if they both looked in the mirror, they would see each other staring back.  

The more submissive males react to the more dominant males by attempting to fit in with them, being extremely agreeable and not wishing to challenge their behaviour or opinions. They look upon them as their allies. This results in a divide, where pockets of certain groups start to emerge. They are choosing to integrate with one another, more as a means of survival and fear of isolation than actual like or mutual respect for one another.

Harmless flirtation and playfulness is wrongly interpreted by the more insecure females as this reminds them of their inadequacies and lack of desirability. They respond by trying to discredit the more desirable and alluring females in the only way they know how, through underhand tactics and disparaging remarks.

Insincerity flows throughout the office as people try and find their own personal position and safe haven within this deceptive, competitive , chaotic and stressful environment.

These signs of behaviour remind me that we are all instinctive animals and we will do whatever it takes to survive.............. I just look on and wonder how i am going to fit into all of this chaos.