THE BIGGER PICTURE
Jul 20,2008 00:00 by admin

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The significance of the content of this book transcends the workplace. Dynamic workplace theory contains more than insights into the workplace, it provides insights into life in general. It provides insights into how we understand our families and the social groupings and organizations that contain many of the stresses and strains of organizational life. In fact, one of the central elements of dynamic workplace theory is the presence of the bidirectional porous boundary between worklife and the balance of one’s life. Many of the psychologically defensive tendencies that energize dynamic workplace theory are directly imported into the workplace from our lives outside of work. It is also the case that many of the trials and tribulations as well as joys of workplace experience affect our experience outside of the workplace. It is, therefore, appropriate to inspect the contribution that dynamic workplace theory makes to understanding life outside of work.

The starting point for this discussion is an appreciation that our lives are filled with intra-psychic, interpersonal and group dynamics not unlike the workplace. Our thoughts and feelings affect how we relate to others and they to us. We may experience others and ourselves as trustworthy, trusting, respectful and open. Conversely we may find our thoughts and feelings and those of others disturbing, distrustful, not respectful and interpersonally defensive. These are the omnipresent potentials that dominate our lives with others and within groups. Dynamic workplace theory may then be thought of as a dynamic theory of life that informs how we understand our experience of ourselves, others and social groups.