Psychological Warfare of Business
Does it exist?
Occupational Darwinism is the theory of evolution of people within the
workplace, and the process in which they conduct business within the ranks of
employees. The occupational Darwinian approach to psychology aims to understand
human behavior considering the evolutionary theory. It puts it into the
workplace and describes the evolution of workplace employees and their survival
within a company.
Business is business no matter where you go in the world, and there will
always be problems and confrontation. It is how we deal with psychological
warfare of the business.
What is a job?
It’s a person’s role in society, and a job is an activity performed in
exchange for payment for duties done for a company or person. A person can
begin a job by becoming an employee, volunteering, starting a business, or
becoming a parent, and being a public servant such as government.
Everyday life has a way of putting a person in their place.
What do I mean?
You ask this question as if I know everything. I do not, but make the
observation when work is like a game of chess. The board unique to how events
line up the game designed to attack an opponent picking off the opposing team
one by one. What happens when this is being played by a company such as where
you work? It’s happening in many jobs all around the world, but I have found
the most interesting field of work is the restaurant industry. While you work
for a restaurant company, you understand the nature of the company and working
for a corporation/franchise is no different.
While everyone knows, the older generation makes up most the restaurant’s
form of income of the business. Yes, there are other restaurants, which allow
football games and wings for the younger crowd with loud music, and drinks. The
game being played differently in this environment but relates all the same to
the psychological warfare in the business.
Competition will always make a person compete to make another person look
bad in favor of power. What is power? Why is power effective? The chessboard,
for instance, has a king. The king in the scenario will be the owner of the
company. The queen will be the Vice President, and the other pieces will fall
into place according to management, supervisors, and the pawns, which are the
lower-level employees. The question should be who runs the asylum? Is it the
manager in control of his subordinates, or is it the pawns running around the
restaurant trying to satisfy the guests’ needs? Who is running the asylum?
The king walks through the door, and the employee is supposed to stop and
address the king. If they do not welcome the king, he will rebel and throw a
tantrum, but what happens when the king tells a team member?
“You are not special.”
The power in which I am talking about is none other than conditioning.
Conditioning is I am in power and you are below me. I can replace you, but when
you do this in public where all the customers and employees can hear you this
becomes a problem. I have seen it in major corporations such as major store
branches who have become a monopoly of power with no limitations of how they
treat their employees. The conditioning is you are replaceable, or a dime a
dozen.
The employee at this point felt an awful pain because it is embarrassing to
them emotionally and psychologically, but it also sets a standard for your
customers. Every person who walks into the facility is a customer, including
the owner and his staff. The owner at this point has set the tone for his
employees who are his internal customers. The tone he has set is the cascading
effect of power, and the king either unknowingly or knowingly put up a
boundary. He has said at that moment. “I do not care about you or the people.”
It implies that all he cares about is the money sent to his bank account.
The customers bring me money not you, but you are wrong sir!
The employees are internal customers who give the demand.
The concept if another one of the king’s restaurants opens and takes money
from the employees’ lives it takes a part of their livelihood. I.e. the
restaurant has a fire, and it affects the employees because they can’t work for
an extended period. The owner of the company does not give a damn because it
all goes into the same pocket.
Whose?
His pocket!
The king will make more off insurance, because his investment into his own
company will pay him for his loss of product, building structure, and wages.
What would happen if an employee can have insurance like the owner if a
fire, or another disaster? It would also protect the employee, and would
benefit.
The hierarchy of power reflects the mood of the owner onto the upper-level
management, and lower-level management. The management enforces this mood onto
the staff members through means of retaliation.
It is amazing how many businesses use the schedule as punishment.
Employees everywhere if this is happening please call your human resources
department!
The schedule is a binding legal document the court systems use to make sure
the employee is getting the number of hours needed to sustain their household
and daily lives. It is used for unemployment. If an employee’s schedule is
changed. The manager must make sure the employee knows of the change and ask if
the employee can work the desired amount of hours.
The favorite part about this one is when the managers put schedules are
subject to change. Check your schedules.
Is it acceptable?
Is it even legal if you are living in an at will state for employment?
It’s illegal and unprofessional to use the schedule as punishment. When the
owner has power in his or her human resources department, anyone is a target of
retaliation.
Whistle blowers tread cautiously in this scenario because you are subject to
the same wrath.
The department should be separate from the company and should not be
manipulated by source or rather king, queen, bishop, rook, castle, in this
scenario.
They should not consider higher ups influence/opinions if they are
contributing to the issue, or are part of the problem.
The retaliation point could be when the owner signs off on paychecks. When
the owner signs the checks and takes it to the bank.
What are his thoughts and actions, but anyway back to the management
discussion, and hierarchy of power?
The manager already told to deal with the employee then turns his attention
to the not so special person who is replaceable. It’s a fact of any business
who can abuse their power knowing every employee is replaceable in major
businesses and huge chain stores.
If a vice president/director of operations the (queen) of the board
pressured by the king they get the call. The queen is bent on pleasing power so
in return subjects her power toward the staff and guests impacting subordinates
of the company. Her goal is to set impossible standards and force the
(employee) opponent out the door. Here taken off the board, but the company
feeds the notion of we want long-term employees.
Is this acceptable?
Is it right?
Whom do you go to when this power crushes your inner character and
well-being? The punishment and retaliation of this behavior breaks a person’s
moral.
The many problems built into this environment are hard to comprehend. The
issues here are just some problems associated with any business. Companies such
as these should focus on the well-being of a person. Not if they can show up to
work. If there is a problem, they have to attend to, however people need to
work to survive.
What about the well-being of the employee?
If the employee is ill and needs to stay away from guests and other employees,
it’s not considered in some cases. The employee is told to cover their shift.
If the shift is not covered, the employee written up for being unable to get
there shift covered.
Three strikes and the employees are jobless, and the manager is finding a
replacement.
What does this mean to the employee?
The queen, rooks, bishops, knights, and pawns are all victims of retaliation
and subjected to a hostile work environment.
Who wants to work for a king who does not care about his staff and just the
money?
There is an imbalance in the business, and it is after all just business,
but the staff makes the king powerful. The staff is the ultimate key to the
success of the business, and the power of the king.
The chessboard is being played by someone else because though the king is in
power. The king has deadlines, licensing, insurance claims, legal issues, and
many other issues to handle on a daily basis including loss prevention/food
cost.
The king has to look back and find the reason he started the business. However,
yes, we understand it is to make money. Is money so important his internal and
external customers have to suffer as he crushes his team to make the extra
million or two?
Psychological warfare played by everyone in education, restaurant business,
the police department, and major corporations. Though played by everyone in the
business, it is the source of power, which makes the biggest impact on the
business and the impression on the person.
The problem of telling someone each person is not special is not empathetic
to the person’s situation.
It is cruel!
Who would continue to work for someone who gets mad if you are late because every
day is different? Every day brings a new challenge, and not all circumstances
are the same? I.e. The person who has daycare for their child and the manager
schedules the person at the same time makes it harder for the employee.
The challenge is to find the one person who stands separate from the rude
comments, and the negativity in the palace of sanity or insanity.
It overall has affected this person to hear all the rude comments. When the
person utilizes their knowledge to set boundaries around their personal
perspective, and emotional faults that person is no longer subjecting himself
or herself to behavior. The person can become more than just a pawn in the game
of psychological warfare, but rather an equalizer. The person I am talking
about can influence staff to help others become successful.
If you are a new employee and are experiencing any of the actions above look
for the positive in the sharks gliding along on top. Life is a ladder to
succeed you must keep climbing even after you’ve met the highest level of
accomplishment.
We all get comfortable in our positions but when a person is constantly subject
to change and rotation the growth is exponential internally and externally. The
customers such as staff and guests know you will take care of their needs. The
acknowledgment and respect from the employees is even greater. The staff learns
to appreciate and will help this person.
Here’s the kicker.
How would you like having to go to work every day knowing the powerful chess
pieces are not able to make a person quit and give up?
Finally, to carry the briefcase, you have to be able to handle every aspect
of the chessboard and the pieces in which the board allows a move.
What happens when you run out of moves?
Does the game end, or do you restart the game? Adapt and change.
The guests always come first in any business, but for the king, it is his
wishes above the guest. I’m served first because I am the owner, and because I
am above you. The attitude is; I am hungry feed me! Passive aggressive behavior
and attitude.
Is this right?
Is it wrong?
The golden question of any business is who fires the employee/customer? I
would say the employee/customer fires themselves or as inevitable, as time is
the employee/customer just gives into the abuse and gives up. It becomes a
problem when the employee/customer gives into this treatment. The internal
customer/employee forgets the external customer and doesn’t care about their
lives; they just focus on keeping their jobs to sustain their lives.
The king has won, and the queen given the satisfaction of crushing an
internal adversary while using tools such as the manager, bishop, knight, and
the rook to affect the pawns in the game. The effect is the end game.
The pawn could be just as powerful as the more powerful pieces in this
business. The employee has to think effectively and strategizes how to
understand the opponent/worker. Never let your opponent know what your next
move will be until you make it. While you make the next move make sure, the
opponent thinks thoroughly about their next move.
It makes them second-guess their own abilities of power.
I would suggest always be three to four steps ahead and think first before
you try to make your next move. In this case, the owner and the management, and
it could work with the employees at the same level. Learn and know there
dislikes about certain ways of shutting down the business. Adjusting the
environment to where the king does not complain to the queen, the bishop,
knight, or the rook about who is at fault. It makes the pawn in the game highly
effective in keeping a distance from the powerful opponents. Instead can take
action to see, avoid, and stop the stronger opponents’ warpath when the time is
right.
I would say the two teams are equal but when you clock in the time for
moving is essential to being at war with the other team. Every business has
what you would call the bottom feeders of the company. The employee who is off
the radar and is doing the minimal amount of work puts more work on other
employees. The situation redirected without having to crush the internal
pieces. It continues to happen daily as the manipulation and problems not
addressed.
The chessboard and psychological warfare in this business crushes an
intellect and drains the mind of a strong-willed person.
“Treats others how you want to be treated” trumped by those trying to harness
and gain power.
The game of leaving things out put away as soon as an opener opens the door
to the asylum of business. Instead throws the previous shift under the bus and
left for road kill. The person who does this stands by and lets the others take
the fall when the king complains.
Why hasn’t this done?
The direct response, for example, is they did not do it yesterday or last night.
The initial response the king should say is.
“Who opened this morning?”
“Why is this not done?”
What could have you done to make sure this problem was corrected?
Instead, the king, lacking the team approach, in turn, is not contributing
to the team effort and only thinking of whom to blame? Instead, he walks around
ranting and raving about what isn’t done and who is to blame. He should have
asked the team to get the job done in an effort to ease the problem.
Hiring people who say they can do the job, but they really do not have the
necessary skills to do the job is another thing. We see this in politics, restaurant
businesses, casinos, hotels… Interviewing people who feed you the information
you want to hear have the ability to get the job. When they have the job are
unable to do it.
All talk and no action.
The person hired to point fingers and talk crap about others while insuring
their faults not looked at when questioned. The person points the finger at the
other employees. Policy doesn’t exist to this person as they are on their cell
phone all the time talking to the main boss. The ass kisser! I get a kick out
of when this type of employee is in management and sets the other shifts up for
failure. The person leaves the place a mess and has the other crew while
working their regular shift pick up the mess.
It does not matter when someone doesn’t show up.
The show must go on!
I have seen so many employees suffer at the hands of these type of
employees.
The funny thing is human resources has a huge list of complaints from these
people’s actions, has done nothing to solve many issues, and are ignoring the
complaints. The problems that will arise later are legal issues in the future
for the company and the owner, but the pressure put on human resources with
questions like.
“Why did you not act on the problem?”
“Who do we blame?”
“Is it in the best interest of the company?”
It drives staff members crazy when this happens and more problems develop.
The person fails at ordering, preparation, job knowledge, and constructively analyzing
staff because of lack of training. Where is the training, manager? In turn,
this person is a fast talker in the circus of employment and does the same
thing in the scenario with the king when confronted. The person is special in
his own aspect, but is sadly also replaceable, as am I for writing this
article? “Not an admission of guilt!”
Longevity or job tenure! What is it and why is it important? In a
never-ending changing world, the environment of business is never the same for
too long. Employees who have worked for the company for long periods develop
methods of manipulation. It doesn’t matter if you are a manor a woman in this
scenario. If you have worked for any company for 10 years, they have seniority.
It means individual employees have an investment where they have invested
time and energy to see the company grow and expand. They have grown and
expanded their positions. What happens when the person is a new piece on the
chessboard and the people who have an investment in the company manipulate the
new people out the door?
The employees who are new have no idea the environment they are about to
embark on.
The senior employee who knows their position well has the ability to
manipulate others in the work field. They do this through scheduling, job duty,
and like the king make others feel like they should quit through manipulation.
The behavior causes damage to the person’s perspective, and though the employees
feel good about themselves, it creates a hostile work environment.
Here is an example. In the restaurant business servers who are knowingly
hogging tables and not sharing, the load with their teammates to make sure
everyone has a fair chance at making money. The new employee given many tasks
and cannot focus on their guests. The senior employee does this to knock the
opponent off the chessboard. The senior employee manipulates the situation
while the manager lets this behavior happen, or they are oblivious to what the
employee is doing. The manager continues to allow this to happen without
addressing the situation and seating the restaurant.
The employee quits because they are not making any money. It is interesting
the way companies handle tips. When there is no business the employee who written
up based on performance. Guests’ not coming into the place of business the
company forced to pay their wages at minimum wage. Some servers never see a
check based off what they claim for tips and tax purposes.
Is this right? We all know the answer to this question, but it is still
happening!
When they share and do the workload the workplace is friendly and engaging,
but without balance, it is chaos, and thus the question.
Who is running the asylum?
Management and labor cost. Who will get their hours cut? It is interesting
to stand witness to some most interesting things in business and budget is a
major part. It happens in education as well where the hierarchy of power.
Politicians monetize education-putting pressure on administrators which then
the message portrayed to the teachers and staff members.
In order for the government to get involved you, monetize education.
Budget as expressed above.
How do you break down the budgets of schools all across a school district?
The answer is numbers.
The district uses the number of students going to a school to give a school
a budget. There are dollar signs on all the heads of the students going to public
school. In the hospital world, they call it heads in beds. Cha Ching! If your
numbers are high, the principal will get a bigger budget, but if they are low,
the budget affects jobs, supplies, and many other things.
Teachers go to school for long periods to attain the ability to teach in the
classroom. There are tests they have to pass before they can even step into the
classroom. The government sets the standards of having teachers go through
observations, caseloads, and the list could go on and on as with any other job.
The politicians point the finger at the principals and the principals bent on
pleasing power points the finger at the teachers. Attendance, testing, and
other things are what they evaluate teachers on while teaching for the school
system, and they aren’t paid well at all. The districts excuse is that teachers
don’t work the summers. During a teachers time off they are lesson planning,
grading, and dealing with ways to set up their classrooms. The teacher also
deals with classroom management and behaviors. Teachers also work on caseloads,
IEPS, BIP’s, and buying supplies for their classrooms to become effective
teachers.
We all know everyone needs a job and money to sustain a life so the newer
employees allow this behavior. If they know, the employee will complain to
management and lose hope if nothing is done. The newer employee does not know
how to respond, or how to handle the situation, and this is how we end up with
a self-destructing employee; implying the employee ends their employment with
the company.
How would you handle the situation?
Whom would you turn to if management does nothing? The senior
employee is large and in charge of the aquarium swimming alongside the
sharks at the top of the food chain?
Superiority of power and its abuses. The other day I was sitting in a
restaurant at a booth over hearing conversations between a supervisor and a
district manager. The supervisor was expressing concerns about cell phones. The
district manager was very rude in the way he worded things to the supervisor.
He had a threatening tone in his voice. The interesting thing is the supervisor
was able to see past the threatening tone, and continued to state his concerns.
The district manager told the supervisor, “I don’t have that problem because
I don’t see the cell phone problem while I am here. It must be that I have more
pull and connections than you.”
The supervisor understood the man’s pull and power, but while I listened to
the conversation, the district manager told the supervisor he was ineffective.
The supervisor got upset with his tone and comment. The supervisor did not
argue with the man, but stated his point to his superior. His tone did not
change, but remained calm. He stated, “What is ineffective is when the
general manager of the company is going against policy and procedures and is
allowing the behavior in front of you and the other upper level management. I
on the other hand have managed to reduce my staffs’ usage of personal cell
phones and hygiene such as earrings while they are here at work, but remind the
employees of policies and procedures.”
He got up calmly and walked away to tend to a paying customer. The
supervisor glanced back at the man and said under his breath as he walked away.
“Your analysis makes you look like a fool because you don’t really know
what is going on in the establishment.”
The supervisor’s body language and state of consciousness changed. He became
more aware of the threatening environment. I watched him maneuver his body into
a neutral position as the man pursued his analysis. The supervisor was
shielding his staff members from the negativity of this superiority of power.
He was more in control than the district manager was.
The pieces of the chessboard laid out on the board and the player is trying
to protect his pieces to the puzzle. The supervisor was doing just this while
tending to the guests while this person sat down and talked on his cell phone.
The supervisor maneuvered his employees into their places, and had them working
on different tasks.
I witnessed the districts managers family come into the establishment. My
brother became upset because we have known the supervisor for many years and
know the person well. We also have been managers in the business of the food
industry and felt that if we complained nothing would happen because it would
go back to the same repulsive snit anyway.
“A man, a dream, and the many jobs in between maintaining an establishment, a neglected family, and carrying a brief case full of money that is your responsibility as you walk in the building is not worth killing yourself!”
In life we always choose to be empathetic of others while living our own individual lives, but when we notice a man not taking care of himself balancing everything life has to offer, and in the end. He said; “It’s not worth killing yourself over these people, and their personal gain in life.” He died 5 days later. His last month he was isolating himself in his room drinking. He did not know the sickness was taking over. He ended up with pneumonia. His health started to decline and his life became clearer in the end. He always worked extremely hard to help support a family that had been broken since his daughter died. His wife fell to ribbons and caused him to divorce her. The family separated but came together in the end. He was supporting his son, ex-wife, and mother-in-law. His son was torn to ribbons as his father to my knowledge had life insurance and didn’t receive it. Instead the company paid for the funeral and the reception. The owner of the company did not write the wrong. Human resources allows higher ups to dictate what their jobs are and does not seek the well being of the employees.
I could write a book on the number of psychological issues associated with any business. To survive the business you must set yourself apart from the other chess pieces and the board of checkered boxes, and tell yourself. “It’s just a job where you are choosing to be subject to the conditions described above.”
If you are caught up in always going home mad and frustrated. If you see your health decline please leave the job you are working, or find another job where you can be in a more professional setting. Do what you love and the money will follow. You don’t deserve to be in an environment where a business allows harassment, expiration on employees, and the well-being of employees like violating Hipaa law. Hipaa law (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) is United States legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information. Human resources does nothing to help the employees, and sides with the business.
The write ups containing it is not in the best interest of the company. Employees rise up and defend your rights as employees and as an individual. Question your human resources department and question the people being controlled like puppets. The chess game can restart as long as you survive within the game.
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