TRANSFORMING AGRESSION INTO COMPASSION

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AGRESSI ON A feeling of hostility that

arouses thoughts of attack. violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked In psychology, as well as other social and behavioural sciences, aggression (also called combativeness) refers to behaviour between members of the same species that is intended to 4/22/12 cause pain or harm. ...

AGRESSION IN SOCIETY
These days, our senses are bombarded with aggression. We are constantly confronted with global images of unending, escalating warand violence. In our personal lives, we encounter angry people cursing into cell phones, watch TV talk shows where guests and audiences intimidate each other verbally and sometimes physically, or attendpublic meetings that disintegrate into shouting matches. Parents scream from the side-lines of their children's sports events: "Get aggressive! "Employees are rewarded for aggressive timelines and plans. Dictionaries define 4/22/12 aggressive

Aggression destroys relationships. People believe that in order to survive, they must combat the opposition. Fear and anger destroy hope for healthy communities, workgroups, families, and organizations. Relationships fracture, distrust increases, people retreat into self-defence and isolation, paranoia becomes commonplace.

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AGRESSION IN ORGANIZATION
And organizational aggression is on the rise, mirroring the societal trend. Competition has become increasingly ruthless, with strategies that aim to destroy competitors and achieve total market domination rather than strategies of coexistence within well-defined niches. In many organizations, aggression is a nearly invisible medium that influences decisions and actions. It's evident in the consistent use of war and sports metaphors. We "bring in the big guns," "dominate the field," plan "sneak attack," or "rally the troops." The resurgence of command-and-control leadership is a less obvious but strong form of aggression, where the will 4/22/12 of one person is imposed on others with

Increasing aggression is having a profound impact on organizational relationships. Distrust is on the rise, so much so that in one survey, managers reported that the primary reason they attend meetings isbecause they don't trust what their colleagues will do in their absence. More employees are retreating into self-protective stances, hoarding resources and information for fear of losing further control of their work. And worker stress levels are at an all-time high. In Canada, one-third oflost work days are from emotional and psychological causes. Similarstatistics prevail in England 4/22/12 andthe United States.

Until we find alternative means to work together without so much aggression, we will continue to experience increasing anger, frustration, impasse, and exhaustion

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For years, humans have struggled to find non destructive ways of living together. Today, if we are to resolve the serious problems that afflict and impede us, we must find the means to work and live together with less aggression

TRANSFORMATION OF AGRESSION INTO COMPASSION

To step aside from aggressive responses to problem solving requires little-used skill: humility . Humility is a brave act--we have to 4/22/12 admit that we don't have the answer.

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Hopefully, humility leads us out of our bunkers to open ground, where we step away from the rigidity of our positions and become a bit curious. We need to be open to the possibility that colleagues and even strangers have information and perspectives that may be of value to us. Only with their input do we stand a chance of seeing this problem in allots complexity. Every perspective, prejudice, and opinion offers more information. Our different positions allow us to see the situation more fully as soon as we realize that we're all on the same side that the problem is a problem

THANK YOU

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