Clever Geek Handbook
9 October 2025

Keynes

Recommendation

The modern recession casts doubt on many long-held economic beliefs, in particular, the validity of free markets. Unable to agree on causes or remedies, economists look on as politicians try various kinds of stimulus spending and corporate bailouts. Pundits call forth the ghost of John Maynard Keynes, often incorrectly labeled as a has-been socialist and tax-and-spend liberal. But Robert Skidelsky, Keynes’ biographer and a noted expert on the economist and his work, reveals how Keynes’ pre-World War II experiences shaped an economic worldview that still holds lessons for the 21st century. This scholarly book assumes that the reader has more than a nodding acquaintance with modern economic theory and philosophy, yet Skidelsky also injects literary references and sparks of wit that enliven the sometimes-challenging text. BooksInShort suggests this abbreviated, but solid, look at Keynes to students of economic and political history, and to anyone who is trying to make sense of how the 2008 crisis happened and how to move forward.

Take-Aways

  • John Maynard Keynes is one of the 20th century’s great economic philosophers.
  • He gained practical experience working in government, managing clients’ money, and making and losing several fortunes.
  • The modern global economic crisis raises questions about what role the state should play in economic life, with “saltwater” and “freshwater” economists on opposite sides.
  • Saltwaters, or “New Keynesians,” support some government role in regulation and stimulus spending.
  • Freshwaters, or “New Classicals,” accept 1980s Reagan-Thatcher free market theories.
  • Two world wars and the Depression led Keynes to believe government should get involved in the markets to maintain employment and avoid economic shocks.
  • Keynesian economics underscored many nations’ post-World War II fiscal planning.
  • Keynes’ understanding of human psychology permeates his economic theory.
  • Keynes believed that uncertainty about the future governs all market transactions.
  • He said prosperity’s purpose is not to create wealth for its own sake, but to improve human existence by providing daily security and tranquility.

Summary

How Do We Get Out of Here?

Most economists have explanations for how the 2008 world economic crisis happened, but opinions differ on the cause and the remedy. Many are looking to the past and to the ideas of economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), who is known widely but superficially as a proponent of stimulus funding and government involvement in business. However, that explanation glosses over the complexities of his philosophy. Indeed, his experiences during the seminal economic events of his lifetime – World War I, the Great Depression and World War II – inspired him to create a new way of economic thinking. The harmonious functioning of capitalism became his goal, which included calling upon the state’s tempering hand to tame the system’s excesses. Some arguments as to how free markets around the world broke down beginning in 2007 and continuing into 2008 include:

  • “The collapse of the housing bubble” – By 2005 the rise in U.S. home prices accounted for 50% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Government entities expanded lending, and commercial lenders gave mortgages to subprime debtors. As housing prices grew, people borrowed against equity. Rising interest deflated the balloon, and defaulted subprime loans became “a bullet that fatally wounded the banks.”
  • “Financial innovation” – The securitization boom resulted from deregulation. Rolling back the Glass-Steagall Act let commercial banks function like investment banks. The government chose not to legislate to control the vagaries of credit-default swaps, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) tripled bank leverage ratios. In 2002 Warren Buffett forecast that derivatives would become “financial weapons of mass destruction.”
  • “The banking crisis” – With bank assets under siege and liquidity scarce, a global banking panic ensued. In 2007, Northern Rock bank suffered the first run on a British bank in more than 100 years. Bear Stearns’ and Lehman Brothers’ collapse, along with AIG’s trauma, called for a fast response. The $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program bailout was only one of many huge spending programs in Europe and the U.S.
  • The “collapse of commodity prices” – Speculation and growing demand in developing nations raised commodity prices to new highs. But the economic crisis suddenly washed away demand, dropping prices dramatically and endangering export-led countries.
  • The “collapse of the stock markets” – The banking and commodities crashes combined to sink the stock markets worldwide. Most severely affected were Russia’s RTS Index, which dropped by 80%, and Japan’s Nikkei, which fell by 42%.
  • The “collapse of the real economy” – Before the subprime crisis, people held wealth largely on paper – in their property deeds and stock certificates. When perceived wealth dropped, consumption slowed, businesses laid off staffers and recession became a reality.
“The economic hurricane now raging gives us an immense opportunity to reorient economic life toward what is sensible, just and good.”

The underlying cause of these breakdowns is the failure of free market thinking, stemming from the 1980s era of President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which fueled a return to the belief in the “invisible hand” that theoretically guides free markets. Economic thinking now follows two predominant schools: “saltwater” and freshwater,” which diverge on the need for government involvement in solving economic problems:

  1. Saltwater – This contingent comes from the East and West Coasts. Its members consider themselves “New Keynesians.” They say that market adaptations are not instantaneous, that time delays prevent stability and that the future is uncertain and, thus, not reliable for measurement or forecasting. They believe government fiscal policy has a role in the markets when shocks to the system don’t immediately correct themselves. They pose their familial dispute with the freshwater school as a matter of the short term versus the long term. Keynes never entirely bought this distinction. “In the long run,” he said famously, “we are all dead.”
  2. Freshwater – These University of Chicago-based free market or “New Classical” economists maintain that the markets provide the best outcomes, and that government interference is unnecessary and impedes the markets’ smooth functioning. They believe they can discern the future by extrapolation and study of past events, based on mathematical models and quantitative analysis. Their models assume that everyone in the market always has access to complete, symmetric data, that markets instantly clear their own imbalances and that all market participants are rational.
“The New Keynesians put common sense ahead of their logic, while the freshwaters put their logic ahead of common sense.”

Three theories freshwater economists hold dear set the economic landscape for the past 30 years:

  1. “The rational expectations hypothesis” – If the costs of items and salaries are free to move with changes in supply and demand, and if everyone has perfect, instant knowledge of these changes, including information about future events, then market factors (labor, capital, prices, wages) will adjust immediately. Since the markets know best, government intervention, regulation or stimulus spending will make matters worse. On average, events will follow models, given a percentage of “random error.”
  2. “The real business cycle theory” – Markets always adjust, but some forces may adapt more slowly than others. This accounts for boom-and-bust cycles.
  3. “The efficient financial markets theory” – Because all data is available to all participants, the price of a financial instrument includes full information and thus accounts for the instrument’s risk. Quantitative analysis can identify the correct risk profile and enable predictions about the future by showing the right price for any asset.
“This so-called ‘efficient market theory’ should have been blown sky-high by last [2008] autumn’s financial breakdown.”

These theories say that investors can measure and price any risk or asset much as insurance companies insure against loss of life and property. The flaw is that actuarial data about life expectancies and property claims are old and straightforward, unlike data about newer derivatives or asset-backed securities, which are valued based on underlying assets. Unheard-of fluctuations when the markets went into tailspins in 2007 demonstrated again that the future really is unknowable – so was Keynes right?

John Maynard Keynes

Keynes might not have foreseen the market meltdown, but it wouldn’t have surprised him, given the laissez-faire policies of the past 30 years. He experienced the waning of the Victorian era and the dawning of Edwardian England’s philosophical and political changes. He socialized with Virginia Woolf and Bertrand Russell and joined the arty Bloomsbury Group. His wife, ballerina Lydia Lopokova, saw him as “more than an economist.” He brought a strong affinity for psychology, aesthetics and morality to his work in economics.

“The failure of the models...is not only a matter of limited data: Ultimately, it is a matter of limited applicability.”

Keynes saw wealth as more than the pursuit of money for its own sake; rather, he felt that riches provide a way to live “wisely, agreeably and well.” He worked as a civil servant but also managed money for himself and his investors through two world wars and the Great Depression. His government career, including a stint as a Bank of England director, informed his thinking on policy issues. In his investment business, he resembled an early 20th century George Soros or Warren Buffett. His practical work life inspired his scholarly books and papers; his academic writings carry the credibility of his market and political experience. He distrusted overreliance on mathematics and econometrics in describing monetary events, because he believed that the future is uncertain, and any attempt to quantify future prices, wages or events is flawed.

“[Keynes’] ethics pointed him toward the ideal; his politics toward moderation.”

In 1919, Keynes began a sort of “hedge fund,” investing in “floating currencies” for his Bloomsbury friends. He made millions before his death in 1946 but was almost wiped out three times. He speculated in currencies and commodities, and he traded equities and bonds. Losing almost all his money in the panic that followed WWI and in the Great Depression taught him the futility of trying to beat market cycles. He became a buy-and-hold investor and observed that mob reactions to plunging markets are self-defeating: Everyone sells to try to preserve assets, but prices fall further. “The fact of falling prices injures entrepreneurs,” he wrote, “consequently the fear of falling prices causes them to protect themselves by curtailing their operations.” In 1931, he advised the insurance firm he directed not to sell its stocks. Like Buffett, he believed in buying in a bear market, being contrarian and feeling a sense of responsibility to the public good.

Keynesian Economics

To understand Keynes’ theories, you must understand these tenets of his economic ideas:

  • “Uncertainty” – Central to Keynes’ thinking, uncertainty is why people keep cash on hand, why investments change in value and why interest rates don’t always affect savings. Money is not just for spending; it’s used to store future value. But since the future is unknowable, savings and investments are subject to indeterminable volatility and risk.
  • “The limits of econometrics” – Keynes disagreed with relying on statistics to plot economic events, because such events change too rapidly, modeling relies on variables no one can prove, economic problems often have nonquantifiable causes and abstract notions do not lend themselves to quantitative analysis. Statistics can be useful in understanding “simpler, less abstract relations.”
  • “Effective demand” – People consume (“stable” demand) and invest for the future (“unstable” demand). The more they save, the less they buy, which affects business and leads to job loss. “Spending, not saving...creates output and employment.”
  • “The inducement to invest” – Investing is betting on an unknowable future. A stock market lessens that uncertainty by providing liquidity at a known price and furnishing companies with capital. People invest in a market for the protection of their liquidity at an earned return, but the market itself is prone to speculators and volatility.
  • “The rate of interest” – Keynes believed interest rates derived from a desire for liquidity, not from supply and demand. The higher the liquidity, the higher the interest rate. Thus, a market meltdown leads to higher rates just when people need lower rates.
  • “The outcome” – Keynes’ policy prescription was “cheap money, wise spending.” He said the government should spend to keep the economic engine going to maintain stability in private investments and to supply businesses with capital to provide jobs. His “big idea was to use macroeconomic policy to maintain full employment.”
“Ideas, knowledge, art, hospitality, travel – these are things which should in their nature be international. But let goods be homespun whenever it is reasonably and conveniently possible and above all let finance be primarily national.” (Keynes)

Keynesian thinking dominated post-WWII economic policy, as nations sought to avoid the mistakes that led to the Great Depression. The Bretton Woods system was based on Keynes’ approach that national stability depends on strong state support. The Washington Consensus, which replaced Bretton Woods in the ’80s, advocated free markets, with little or no government intervention. Comparing the two, under Bretton Woods, national growth rates were higher, unemployment was lower, volatility was less, and the gap between rich and poor was smaller.

What Would Keynes Do?

Contemporary culture’s morality came under scrutiny in the soul-searching that followed the 2007-2009 market crashes, which were marked by “institutional, intellectual and moral” failure. Keynes believed that economic life’s purpose was to improve human existence, not in the material sense, but in giving people daily security and tranquility. If capitalism’s single goal is to make everyone richer, jarring collapses create the perception that capitalism may not be the best way forward. Environmental destruction, weakened democracies, inhuman corporate cultures and a growing income gap are the social costs of capitalism.

“Keynes is not just for the foxhole, but for the emerging world order.”

Keynes was a capitalist, not a socialist; he saw capitalism as the best system for eradicating poverty and assuring wealth. He believed in private property, but justified morality-based curbs on excessive growth. He advocated public-private partnerships to advance human progress while tamping down the emphasis on profit for its own sake. This leaves a “role for state policy to reduce uncertainty arising from finance.” Looking ahead, recall Keynes’ distinction between “recovery and reform.” Immediate recovery means more national spending to address the global slump in demand. Reform takes more time and requires considering new concepts to avoid repeating old mistakes.

About the Author

Robert Skidelsky, emeritus professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick, is the award-winning author of a three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes.

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Keynes

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Return of the Master

Public Affairs,
 


9 October 2025

The One Minute Negotiator

Recommendation

People intensely dislike negotiating. This is true for everyone, including senior business professionals. This dread may derive from the mistaken attitude that negotiation must be a win- lose confrontation. Not so, according to Don Hutson and George Lucas, who provide a memorable, three-step process you can use to negotiate effectively. BooksInShort likes this book’s clear-headed, easy-to-follow explanation of the essence of negotiation, including how to plan for a negotiation and how to negotiate successfully. However, the book is mistitled. Nothing takes only one minute, certainly not the careful assessment, strategic thinking and tactical planning that the authors correctly assert must accompany any negotiation. Otherwise, this is an outstanding book that can help you become a more successful negotiator.

Take-Aways

  • Most people suffer “negotiaphobia”: the fear of negotiating.
  • Overcome this fear with the “EASY treatment process: Engage, Assess, and Strategize,” and then conduct “Your One-Minute Drill.”
  • To engage, determine how you will treat the other side in a negotiation.
  • To assess, identify your personal negotiating tendencies, and evaluate the other side’s likely tendencies.
  • To strategize, select the best negotiating tactic for your particular situation.
  • Choose among four negotiation strategies: “avoidance, accommodation, competition” – and the most effective approach – “collaboration.”
  • Avoidance is the negotiation strategy most people prefer, but it is weak.
  • Accommodation is giving the other side what it wants.
  • Competition is the zero-sum game strategy – I win; you lose.
  • Though most people think otherwise, compromise is not a true negotiation strategy.

Summary

“Negotiaphobia”

Jay Baxter was excited. He and his wife, Laura, had won a trip on a luxury yacht docked in Miami as part of the Top Producers Award Trip sponsored by his company, XL Information Solutions. They were pleased to leave below-freezing temperatures in Cleveland for the sunny bliss of Miami. Additionally, Jay was proud to be the top-quota producer among the 17 salespeople on the cruise. He hoped (and expected) that the company would select him as “Salesperson of the Year.” Jay also thought that the firm would give him his dream job as the new regional sales manager for the Upper Midwest. However, the trip would not be all fun. Along with the other salespeople, Jay had to attend a multiday workshop on negotiating taught by Dr. Pat, a negotiations expert. The workshop was called “Treating Your Negotiaphobia.”

“No two negotiations are alike.”

Jay ran into his friend Eduardo Carlos, another XL sales rep. Eduardo told Jay that the latest gossip held that another salesperson, Cathy Simmons, was going to win the top sales award and be appointed to the regional sales manager job. Jay was baffled. When he last checked the sales figures, he was a strong 8% ahead of Cathy. But Eduardo told Jay that the determining factor for this year’s sales award was contribution to gross margin – where Cathy was well ahead.

“While collaboration is a noble goal, if you’re negotiating with a tough, competitive individual who has no interest in collaborating, you might as well be standing on the railroad tracks trying to negotiate with a speeding train.” (Dr. Ken Blanchard, The One Minute Manager)

Crushed, Jay sat down in one of the ship’s lounges and ordered a drink. A stranger wearing cowboy boots said hello and asked Jay why he looked so down. Jay explained and additionally complained that now he had to attend a negotiation seminar by some “clown” named Dr. Pat. Jay groused, “He has probably never sold one dime’s worth of information management systems in his life, and he is going to tell us how to do it.” Jay then asked his new Texas friend his name. “My name is Pat, Patrick Perkins. Some of my students call me Dr. Pat.” The negotiations expert then told Jay that he’d see him at the seminar the next morning.

“Most people are extremely predictable when it comes to how they negotiate.”

That night, all the XL sales reps and the company’s president, Bob Blankenship, gathered for a special dinner to honor the salesperson of the year, Cathy Simmons, whom the president also appointed as regional sales manager. Jay gracefully congratulated Cathy, but he remained distraught.

The next day, Dr. Pat began to teach the sales reps about the fine points of negotiation. Blankenship kicked off the meeting by telling the reps that they needed to focus on profitable sales rather than volume sales. They all had to become better negotiators to achieve more profitable prices for the firm’s information management systems.

“Proficient negotiators quickly read the other side, because no one negotiates in a vacuum.”

Dr. Pat began by defining negotiation as “the ongoing process through which two or more parties, whose positions are not necessarily consistent, work in an effort to reach an agreement.” The word “process” indicates something that takes place over time, and not simply a “decision phase.” While agreement is the goal of any negotiation, often the bargaining parties do not achieve it.

“Proficient negotiators reap the rewards of their efforts; solid strategies generate superior outcomes.”

People share a common misconception that negotiating leads to both sides reaching a compromise. Nothing could be further from the truth. A compromise, which normally means splitting the difference, usually makes both parties unhappy. For example, a car seller asks $7,000 for his vehicle. A prospect offers $5,000. They split the difference and agree on $6,000. Afterward, the seller berates himself for selling his car for $1,000 less than he believed it was worth. Similarly, the buyer is angry with herself for spending $1,000 more than she planned.

Negotiate in EASY Steps

People can overcome their fear of negotiation, called “negotiaphobia,” by using the “EASY treatment process.” Go through these steps for every negotiation:

“Engage” – How Will You Treat the Other Side?

Know that you are involved “in a negotiation” and think through the available strategies that you can employ. The four main negotiation strategies are “avoidance, accommodation, competition and collaboration.”

“Many people...associate negotiation with the ability to ‘get them before they get you’.”

Competition and collaboration are “proactive,” while avoidance and accommodation are “reactive.” Competition and avoidance call for “low cooperation,” while accommodation and collaboration involve “high cooperation.” In any negotiation, it is always better to be proactive instead of reactive, and to cooperate rather than obstruct. Avoidance is the attitude: “I would like to put it off for later, but I can’t.” This weak negotiating strategy, which most negotiaphobes use, is no strategy at all.

“Proficient negotiators have developed an advanced capability to maximize the benefit of all parties involved.”

Accommodation is based on giving the other side whatever it wants. While people frequently think they can develop future relationships through accommodation, they will find that they won’t like the relationships that they build this way. The second party will always assume it can win. While accommodation is sometimes necessary in a negotiation, use it with great care.

“Many negotiators are highly predictable because their negotiaphobia leaves them feeling comfortable repeatedly using the same strategy time and again.”

Competition is the zero-sum game strategy that ends up meaning: I win; you lose. This precludes any relationship. For example, a tow truck driver negotiating with a motorist stranded in the desert can charge any amount and expect to get it; the trucker faces a miniscule likelihood of ever dealing with the same driver again. Negotiators who compete always do better than those who accommodate. If the other side is competitive and recognizes that you will compete, too, it often will provide opportunities to collaborate instead. Conversely, those who are reluctant to compete frequently get steamrolled.

“Collaboration requires a great deal more work...but...the returns can make it more than worth this investment.”

Collaboration is a win-win strategy. For it to work, both parties must put their “true needs” on the table. Sadly, collaboration remains rare. Collaborative negotiators are either “sages,” who collaborate only when that’s what works best, or “dreamers,” who always collaborate in hopes that other parties will reciprocate. The best tactic is to be both a sage and a dreamer – practical but optimistic.

“Assess” – What Is Likely to Happen?

Evaluate your tendencies regarding how you normally negotiate and how the other party negotiates. Assess yourself accurately to determine which strategic style you use most often. Many people prefer avoidance – or use it as a default negotiation mode – to avoid potential confrontations or unpleasantness. The most effective negotiators employ a collaborative style, but that doesn’t mean you always should collaborate in every negotiation. If you try to collaborate just when the other party is competing, you are, in fact, practicing accommodation.

“Our success in negotiating is dependent on our ability to correctly assess the strategies being used by others.”

In the assessment phase of creating your negotiation strategy, analyze what tactics the other side is likely to use. If you have negotiated with the same parties in the past, expect them to utilize the approach they deployed last time; that is, “the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.” Observe and analyze the other side’s “behavioral style tendencies” via four categories:

  1. “Analyticals” – These nonemotional number crunchers want as much data as possible before they make decisions. They often utilize avoidance.
  2. “Drivers” – These direct, no-nonsense individuals have short attention spans. They often employ a heavily competitive strategy. If you can remain unflustered and avoid caving in to their initial demands, drivers often will move quickly to a collaborative posture.
  3. “Expressives” – These “wannabe collaborators” also have short attention spans. For the best outcomes, reach agreement with them before they lose interest and move on to something else. If you can, locate an individual within the expressive’s company who can outline the firm’s (and thus the expressive’s) needs.
  4. “Amiables” – These warm, friendly people are not good negotiation opposites. They appear to like you a lot, but they may feel the same way about everybody involved. Amiables hate to make decisions and are, as such, classic avoiders. Often, you can guide them to accommodate you during a negotiation.
“Compromise causes more confusion...than any other issue.”

If you have never negotiated with your counterparties before, try to find out how they make their agreements with their customers, vendors or suppliers. The way they treat them is how they will treat you. You can learn a lot about a company by checking its website. Is the firm open and transparent? Does it provide useful information about itself? If so, expect it to be collaborative. If, on the other hand, the firm is highly secretive and not willing to share much data, expect it to adopt a competitive posture. If you are not sure how the other party will negotiate, begin with a collaborative attitude. If they are unwilling to work with you, become competitive quickly.

“Strategize” – Which Approach Will Work?

Your next step in the EASY process is to consider how you will handle this particular negotiation. Although avoidance is not a strong tactic, you may want to use it when negotiating on a minor issue or when your best option requires no negotiation. However, minor issues can turn into major ones over time. Thus, avoidance may be a good approach today, but perhaps a terrible method for handling the same things tomorrow. When the other side avoids negotiating, that may indicate that it no longer has any interest in doing business – for example, if a prospect no longer returns your calls. Every salesperson is accustomed to objections, which are useful if they indicate that your prospect is still considering your proposal.

“As long as the parties are talking to each other, there is still a chance for success.”

Accommodation is a proper strategy if your hand is obviously considerably weaker than the other side’s. You may be able to increase your leverage if you can turn a weak hand into a strong one by having superior knowledge or by preparing extensively for the negotiation. If you must accommodate, qualify your stance, for example: “This time around, due to the unique situation we find ourselves in, we would be willing to entertain what you propose.” If you handle things this way, it won't create an accommodationist precedent for the future.

Use the competitive strategy when the other side refuses to collaborate or when collaboration is not worth the time or trouble. Collaboration is the win-win strategy you should strive to pursue in most instances. Everyone comes out ahead, and a collaborative outcome preserves positive relationships, the core of doing business. Try to work collaboratively on negotiations that happen internally in your organization. The last thing you want to do is to harm a relationship with another business unit in your company; you may need to work with that unit in the future.

“Your One-Minute Drill”

The last part of the EASY process is the Y – “Your One-Minute Drill.” Take a moment prior to your negotiation to stop and think about the three steps of the EASY process: engage, assess and strategize. In doing so, ask yourself: Does this situation call for negotiation? What strategy do I normally use in this type of negotiation? What about the other side? Considering what I am dealing with, what is my optimum strategy? Think things through systematically. When you do, you will have a better idea on how to proceed during the actual negotiation.

If you think carefully about each step, you will begin to negotiate better. Your fear of negotiation will dissipate because you have demystified the process and become more skillful. Going through each step is essential to being a good negotiator. In contrast, poor negotiators employ various tactics during negotiations without thinking about their overall strategies, a clear mistake.

A Big Payoff for Jay

With the expression of this last thought, Dr. Pat concluded his multiday negotiation seminar. Jay promised himself to put the negotiation principles that he had learned to work immediately in his selling efforts. He did, and with terrific results. At the next year’s award dinner, Jay won salesperson of the year honors. Plus, he learned to use his knowledge of negotiation not just in business, but in all areas of his life.

About the Authors

Don Hutson, author of 12 books, is chairman and CEO of US Learning, where consultant George Lucas serves on the board.

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The One Minute Negotiator

Book The One Minute Negotiator

Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements

Berrett-Koehler,
 


9 October 2025

Don't Bring It to Work

Recommendation

It’s your first day on your new job, and you’re meeting your new colleagues. You shake hands, make eye contact and offer a pleasant smile. But for some reason, you instinctively don’t like one or two people; they make you uncomfortable. How is it possible to judge people whose names you don’t even know? Therapist and relationship expert Sylvia Lafair believes that the seeds of workplace conflict are rooted in your family background. She posits that the behaviors modeled in your childhood and your relationship with your family members create subliminal expectations that you subconsciously project onto others, including strangers. Lafair suggests that understanding your upbringing is the linchpin to avoiding and resolving workplace conflict. The author offers profound, detailed insight into the psychological dynamics that govern interpersonal relationships. Recognizing your family patterns is just the first step, though; the real work lies in your willingness to change your behavior. Though Lafair’s approach may not resonate with everyone, BooksInShort recommends her book to managers and employees who wish to avoid perpetuating destructive cycles of workplace conflict.

Take-Aways

  • Workplace conflict is common; one study says employees spend one-quarter of their time, or two hours a day, engaged in petty disagreements with co-workers.
  • Job stress often triggers destructive emotional responses based on old, familial patterns.
  • You can’t change your family upbringing, but you can change your behavior.
  • Typical human resources and management interventions are often ineffective in dealing with employee conflict.
  • Be alert for 13 behavioral patterns in the workplace, including the “super-achiever, rebel, procrastinator, clown” and “persecutor.”
  • Firms can ease clashes by promoting balance, self-expression, stress reduction and better communication.
  • “Sankofa Mapping” charts your family history to help identify patterns in your work life.
  • Transformation starts with mentally re-creating an adverse situation at work and role-playing to invent better alternatives for handling it.
  • Create a six-week plan to target behavioral change. Enlist trusted confidants to help.
  • Frank, productive communication ultimately depends on your ability to listen.

Summary

A Common Affliction

There’s no doubt that conflict in the workplace is a major issue. Studies show that executives devote a significant portion of their work week to dealing with personality conflicts among staffers. At the same time, workers are spending more money treating stress-related health issues linked to dysfunctional work environments. The American Management Association found that employees spend one-quarter of their time, about two hours a day, engaged in petty disagreements with co-workers.

“Nobody’s behavior exists independently of his or her interpersonal relationships.”

Difficult economic conditions, technology that depersonalizes communication and the influx of a new generation of workers with different attitudes all contribute to increased negativity and hostility in the workplace. But ultimately, job conflicts trace back to the behavioral patterns and psychological influences that people experience in their upbringing. Even in relatively healthy families, members take on certain “invisible roles,” such as the “good girl,” the “smart one” or the “lazy one.” People attain a certain level of comfort with their familial roles and carry those patterns – particularly the destructive ones – into the workplace. For example, former Tyco CEO Dennis Koslowski, haunted by his impoverished upbringing, stole millions from his company to chase a life of excess, only to end up penniless – just like in his childhood.

“Conflict runs rampant in the workplace because of our natural and universal tendency to bring our families with us to work.”

While Koslowski’s case is extreme, behavioral patterns from your youth can emerge even when you’re at work. Intense emotional reactions in crisis situations have their roots in family history and a primordial survival instinct. Since workplaces typically discourage emotional expression, employees often stifle their thoughts and feelings. Organizations can create environments in which destructive patterns have little breathing room by following these steps:

  • Strive for balance – Rules are necessary, but an overly regimented environment stifles creativity and discourages spontaneity. On the other hand, too much flexibility leads to chaos and anxiety. Allow your employees the freedom to ask questions and make decisions, while holding them accountable for their actions.
  • Promote expression – Employees often hesitate to express displeasure or disappointment for fear of being labeled agitators or weaklings. Consequently, workers suppress their issues and go on pretending that everything is fine. Conversely, some workplaces remain embroiled in drama constantly, so work takes a backseat to tumult and commotion. Foster honest expression without condemnation to prevent issues from festering.
  • Reduce stress – Emotional patterns often surface in times of extraordinary anxiety. Difficult economic conditions, layoffs and high unemployment rates can trigger irritability and irrationality. Organizations can help workers deal with uncertainty by offering stress management and wellness and exercise programs. Employees can also benefit from lunch hour lectures on handling financial challenges.
  • Structure communication – Help promote open exchanges by educating employees about emotional patterns and their ramifications. To avoid crisis situations, hold periodic workshops to teach communication and feedback skills.

A Failure to Communicate

Companies typically follow a predictable path in attempting to resolve workplace conflict: Bosses and human resources (HR) representatives provide counseling and coaching in a “performance improvement plan” for those involved. But if the negative behavior doesn’t change, three different outcomes are possible: managers sweep the issue under the rug, the problematic person resurfaces in a different department or the firm terminates the employee. Unfortunately, this widely practiced form of intervention largely fails because it targets superficial symptoms instead of the “systemic patterns” at the base of the conflict. The HR approach also falls short because it’s designed to rehabilitate one or two “troublemakers.” While this tactic may achieve short-term results, problems will inevitably resurface, setting off another wasteful cycle of HR intervention.

“Your ability to discern patterns shortens the amount of time you have to spend resolving conflicts and helps limit the depth of upset that occurs.”

Despite management’s best intentions, people cannot solve workplace conflict without addressing the issues that cause their destructive behavior in the first place. Organizations must acknowledge the connection between ingrained familial patterns and workplace interactions. Then they must structure an environment that fosters sincere and open communication. The truth can be painful, yet it’s the only viable path to a solution.

“Thirteen Destructive Patterns”

Most people can identify with one or more of the 13 most common and damaging behavioral patterns. Recognizing your tendencies toward these patterns is a necessary prerequisite to bringing about change in yourself and in your workplace:

  1. “Super-achiever” – Success is the only thing that matters to these individuals, who allow nothing to stand in its way. They have an inflated opinion of themselves and little regard for their colleagues. Super-achievers create a hostile work environment because they trust no one and use intimidation to establish their superiority.
  2. “Rebel” – These individuals love a good fight. They rail against authority and have little tolerance for policy and regulations. Rebels act as if they want change, but they are uninformed about the issues and causes they undertake. They enjoy bringing colleagues into the fray, but they typically face bleak long-term career prospects.
  3. “Procrastinator” – They start out with the best of intentions, but fail to deliver on their promises. They enthusiastically embrace assignments, yet regularly blow deadlines and act as if they are blameless. Procrastinators are insecure and riddled with anxiety over whether they’ve made the right choices.
  4. “Clown” – While having a good sense of humor is not a bad quality, office clowns take it to the extreme. They frequently tell off-color, offensive jokes and use wisecracking to safeguard their vulnerabilities. Clowns bring value in that they can diffuse tense situations, but their behavior more often creates communication gaps.
  5. “Persecutor” – Like schoolyard bullies, persecutors use intimidation and harassment to exert their dominance. They can be verbally abusive or quietly critical in attacking the self-esteem of others. Persecuting bosses contribute to an antagonistic setting that destroys individuals and sabotages any notion of teamwork.
  6. “Victim” – Insecure and fearful, victims are pessimists who love to complain and tend to avoid situations where someone might question their competency. They wallow in negativity, fail to recognize opportunities for change and fear scrutiny from their bosses.
  7. “Rescuer” – These individuals focus on helping others to avoid examining their own inadequacies. Rescuers thrive on receiving praise for playing the hero. They gravitate toward any cause, yet they often become hostile when others don’t need their help anymore.
  8. “Drama queen or king” – Nothing invigorates these people more than a good crisis. Drama queens and kings live for emotional upheaval, and their theatrics can be entertaining. They are typically intelligent and resourceful, but their desire for attention often compromises their efficiency.
  9. “Martyr” – If anything needs doing, the martyr is at your service. He or she strives to be the go-to person in the office, the one who listens to everyone’s problems and finds solutions. Martyrs act as if recognition is not important to them, but they never miss an opportunity to complain about being underpaid and underappreciated.
  10. “Pleaser” – Conflict and controversy are the pleaser’s worst enemies. Pleasers want desperately to fit in and are deathly afraid of disapproval. They are most comfortable working for micromanaging bosses who tell them exactly what to do. Pleasers rarely take a strong stand or voice an opinion.
  11. “Avoider” – When the going gets tough, avoiders sidestep. They prefer not to deal with problems, even when they are responsible for them. Avoiders typically have subdued personalities, but they will engage in passive-aggressive behavior if they are unhappy.
  12. “Denier” – These individuals live in a fantasy world where there are no problems. They ignore the truth because it would force them to engage in painful introspection. Deniers are most concerned with how things look on the outside.
  13. “Splitter” – Splitters can be particularly damaging in the workplace because they fly under the radar and enjoy playing both ends against the middle. Driven by insecurity and powerlessness, splitters will take you into their confidence and then surreptitiously pit you against your colleagues.

Taking Inventory

Change happens only when you look back at your family experiences and identify the patterns that define you. One useful tool is “Sankofa Mapping,” a chart, or “genogram,” that illustrates the relationships in your family. Sankofa means “heal the past to free the present” in the language of Ghana. Sankofa Mapping is much more than a genealogical tool; it’s an in-depth exploration of your immediate and extended family members, pertaining to their health, finances, religious beliefs, work experiences and interpersonal relationships. To start your own Sankofa Map, speak with as many relatives as you can and try to get detailed information. You are likely to uncover both positive and negative patterns that directly affect your life. For instance, you may discover a history of alcoholism or substance abuse and learn how your family dealt with the problem. Or you may find out why you are driven to succeed or procrastinate or avoid confrontation.

“Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.” (author Anthony Brandt)

Armed with an awareness of your patterns, you can begin the transformational process. Don’t expect to become a totally new person. Instead, learn to make better use of your positive behaviors while minimizing your negative tendencies. A productive exercise called the “Pattern Encounter Process” (or “PEPtalk”) enables you to alter an ineffective pattern. To use it, re-create an adverse, stressful work situation. Have a friend play the role of the other individual in your scenario. While the scene plays out, focus on your thoughts and words, and feel the change inside you. It may not happen at first, but with repetition you will feel empowered and understand how you can respond effectively in a particular circumstance.

Moving Forward

After practicing your PEPtalk, outline a plan of action to change your patterns. Follow it for six weeks, since experts agree that is how long it takes for new behaviors to become habitual. For example, if you’re a martyr taking on extra work to please your boss and colleagues, plan in your first week to leave the office on time and to have a chat with your manager about the changes you’re seeking. You will eventually discover that dialogue with your peers is less emotionally charged and more productive. You will also find that it’s easier to speak the truth, although you must be diplomatic. Frank, productive communication ultimately depends on your ability to listen empathetically to your co-workers instead of exclusively focusing on your own agenda. As you seek transformation at work, keep the following principles in mind:

  • Use words carefully – Avoid statements that echo your pattern.
  • Trust your instinct – When something doesn’t feel right, find a quiet moment to connect to a past situation.
  • “Pattern interrupt” – Change how and when you speak in work situations to disconnect from your usual behavior.
  • Probe – Ask questions that provoke insight, and speak in “truth sentences” that deal in facts, not emotions.
  • Find a “pattern-busting buddy” – Rely on a trusted friend who will act as your reality-checker.
  • Remind yourself – Use totems like pictures or songs as cues in your transformation, and keep a journal on your progress.
  • Set an example – Share your journey for change with others.

About the Author

Sylvia Lafair, a former family therapist, is president of Creative Energy Options, Inc., a consulting firm that addresses conflict resolution and leadership issues.

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Don't Bring It to Work

Book Don't Bring It to Work

Breaking the Family Patterns that Limit Success

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