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| Sharks and Dolphins: How we treat each other |
| By Joe Bouchard |
| Published: 03/29/2009 |
In 1994, the movie “Swimming with Sharks” was released. Far from being a discovery channel-type documentary on marine life, “Swimming with Sharks” was the story of a sadistic Hollywood executive who abused co-workers.
Played by Kevin Spacey, the lead character used verbal and physical abuse when dealing with his coworkers. His way of managing others included intimidation, use of degrading profanity, and irrational shifts of expectations. We can say that it is only a movie. But we can also point to those negative attributes and recall a true work story. And when this is superimposed on corrections, the ramifications of this personality type is dangerous. This sort of behavior breeds resentment, revenge and manipulation. This leads to a mis-focus, as we are too busy watching ourselves rather than our job duties and the actions of prisoners. When we are distracted from our primary job, we provide conditions for danger in many forms. As we swim through the waters of work, we encounter many sharks. Yet, there are also dolphins, too. Let’s look at some of the personalities. Sharks are rather obvious to most of us. They show aggressive behavior as they prowl what they consider to be their territory. The same is true of their human counterparts. They are, above all, predators, preying on weaker co-workers in order to show that they are dominant. Their chief goal is to destroy others so that they many continue to flourish. Dolphins are never seen as villains. They are calm and peace-loving creatures. But that does not mean that they are helpless. Intelligence is the prominent quality of the dolphin. In nature, dolphins can defend themselves against predators. In some cases, dolphins have banded together to chase sharks out of an area. In a sort of natural bully control, they have even head-butted would-be predators. In human terms, dolphins are assertive, rather than aggressive. They defend themselves and attack only when necessary. Also, just because a dolphin does not display aggression does not mean that this is an ineffective staff person. Their chief goal is to exist well in their environment. There is a variation on the shark theme. That is the shark in dolphin’s clothing. In other words, this is a predator that appears to be safe and gentle. Their mannerisms and behavior indicate that they are benevolent and trustworthy colleagues. However, that is not their true nature. As office predators, they use that camouflage to cover their sneak attacks on others. They are calculating and manipulative. As we swim in the waters of corrections, there are perils. But shark repellants are available. Some of them are professionalism, knowledge, and experience. And since most sharks call attention to themselves, they are easy to detect. Human interaction is always complex. But those basic models serve to remind us of how things can be. Just as in nature, there are many sharks in the waters of the work world. It is fortunate that the dolphins balance against the predators. And it is possible for human sharks to change their nature. At work, where do you fit in? Are you more like a shark or a dolphin? Joe Bouchard is the Librarian at Baraga Correctional Facility. (906) 353-7070 ext 1321 Other articles by this author |
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