Small change: never lose sight of the human

The brilliant Apple TV show ‘Severance’ is about the deals that we all make with ourselves about how we are — indeed, who we are — at work. As its title suggests, the programme asserts that many of us seem to ‘sever’ our true selves in working hours. Our view is different.

Examine how any human being acts at work and you will observe many factors that influence their behaviour, including personality, experience, incentives (both social and financial), and organisational culture. This can produce all sorts of consequences — not least behaviour that we experience as difficult or damaging.

But try as we might, it is not possible for us to sever the emotions and experiences that make us human. We would all do well to remember that behind every impersonal system — and every instance of challenging behaviour — lies one or more human beings who, like all of us sometimes, might be feeling rejected, threatened, or exposed.

Something to consider: what might be going on for this person, behind the behavioural façade?

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