Anger in the Workplace: Implications of the Tragedy at Columbine High

Speaker: Brayton Bowen

Introduced by: Michael Tague, President,
Win.Net Business Internet

Program Presented to the Rotary Club of Louisville, Thursday, May 13, 1999

You've been listening to a montage of voices from the documentary series -- Anger in the Workplace. They are the voices of real people -- some angered by hostile work environments; others -- victims of violence at the hands of the angry. Still other voices are those of prominent observers of the American workplace and highly regarded professionals in the field of human services.

You might well ask what these people have to do with the events at COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL in Littleton, Colorado -- or what Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris -- who killed fifteen (15) classmates, including themselves, and wounded sixteen (16) others -- had in common with Joseph Wesbecker of the now closed STANDARD GRAVURE or Anthony Deculit, a postal worker in Milwaukee or any number of so-called "disgruntled" employees who have taken the lives of co-employees, as well as their own. Perhaps the most obvious connection is the American culture to which they belonged. Less obvious is what they shared in feeling "left out," ridiculed, hurt or offended in some fashion. Even less obvious was the anger they were unable to manage until it became painfully apparent, particularly in an environment which was no less adept at communicating respectfully or recognizing the telltale signs of immanent disaster.

For all our apparent prosperity, we are becoming -- indeed, we ARE! -- an "angry" society. Last month Littleton, Colorado joined Jonesboro, Paducah and other communities around the country where school children are killing other school children. Following the news of Littleton, schools all across the United States reported "copycat" threats, as would-be assailants promised to replicate the tragedy of COLUMBINE HIGH. Even my nephew and niece who live outside of St. Louis reported bomb threats at each of their schools just miles apart -- within the same week!

The "rage" that was somehow thought to be only "out there" -- on the road, in the streets, in someone else's community -- is coming through the doors of American institutions -- waiting to ignite like some pile of gasoline-soaked rags in the dark corner of a heated workshop.

Certainly, anger at work is nothing new. People have always been unhappy, to some degree. But the manner of expression was often more "concerted," more
"organized." If you were a member of a union and got angry at the boss, you could file a grievance. If you were angry at the company, you could go on strike or engage in a slowdown. Today, there are fewer recognized conventions or systems for processing anger; and American society is too busy to listen, so individuals are often taking matters into their own hands and the manner of expression is not always rational -- or pretty.

One of my colleagues recently reported she had counseled a client -- a "nice guy," "quiet" -- "depressed," but really a "sweet person." He had gone to work with a duffel bag containing more than a dozen guns. At the end of the day, he took up his bag -- unopened -- and returned home. She asked why he hadn't opened the bag and done what you had envisioned doing?" His answer was a chilling, "I don't know."

Imagine the consequences had someone "tripped his wire" that day, violated some personal, emotional boundary. The consequences are unthinkable. And, yet, this is not an isolated situation. What was once thought to be a safe place -- be it a neighborhood, a workplace, or a school for children -- is no longer.

So listen up, Mr. or Ms. CEO and my fellow and dame co-workers, if you've had difficulty managing in the workplace of today, tomorrow's workforce is graduating from the educational institutions of the Littletons and Paducahs of our country.

In my opinion, anger in the workplace and in our institutions, in general, is bigger than the Y2K problem and the reform of Social Security. It's symptomatic of deeper problems which we've not begun to fully appreciate.

While anger is increasing at work, uncontrolled anger or rage is also increasing -- and at an alarming rate. In 1993, there were 110,000 reported incidents of violence at work, resulting in 750 deaths and a cost of $4.2 billion to American business. In 1997 there were 856 homicides reported in the workplace -- down slightly from the year prior -- but almost twice the number reported some twelve years earlier. Today, workplace homicide is the fastest growing category for murders. It's the number one cause of death for women at work and the number two cause for men.

Security experts report "work rage" in the form of sabotage is on the increase. Vandals were reported "gouging profanity-laden hate messages" on building walls, according to the Los Angeles Times, as captured by security cameras. One telephone company experienced $10 million in damaged equipment at the hands of a former employee angry over the loss of retirement benefits. Computer viruses are being created daily to attack and destroy entire systems. Charges of discrimination, harassment, and intimidation are on the rise. Even e-mail is compounding the expression of anger as irate employees copy entire distribution lists where, once, their differences were limited -- at least initially -- to a two party exchange. And litigation is becoming increasingly common as a means to addressing conflicts between employers and employees. Witness the $4.5 million hostile environment verdict against ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND over "good-natured ribbing" which aggravated the emotional condition of a disabled Vietnam veteran. Or, the $176 million class action, racial discrimination suit against TEXACO in 1996 brought by lead plaintiff Bari-Ellen Roberts, an female African American officer of the Company, on behalf of herself and 1,400 other African Americans.

As an aside, a number of Rotarians from this Downtown club joined together recently to sponsor a tour by Bari-Ellen Roberts to Louisville as part of an effort to foster better understanding with respect to racial differences and diversity in the workplace. Special thanks to AHEAD HUMAN RESOURCES, THE LOUISVILLE URBAN LEAGUE, STROTHMAN AND COMPANY, THE HOWLAND GROUP, THE KENTUCKY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS and many others who supported this endeavor.)

So what is contributing to all this anger? Well, first we need to appreciate there is a three part formula involving "work," "love," and "play." When any one of these factors is threatened or becomes unbalanced, the result give rise to anger. At work there are a number of factors. First, the traditional concept of "loyalty" is dead in most workplaces. In spite of the nice words that "people are our most important asset," pro-people policies and practices in any number of organizations are mere rhetoric. Workers have been forced to grow up, and to do so quickly. Many are becoming "free agents" -- inside and outside of our corporate structures. And, "commitment" is directed more to one's "self" than toward any organization or institution.

"Worker attitudes aren't the same as they used to be," some might say. Small wonder. In our rush to shun any suggestion of permanence -- witness our "employment at will" policies -- we've created a workplace of "free agents" and "indifference." Like "strangers in the night" we have unwittingly contributed to a condition similar to that described in mental health circles as an "attachment disorder." The term is usually applied to children who have been abused or abandoned and who have difficulty as they grow older in forming any sort of close relationship with another human being. People at work are reluctant to make any sort of long term commitment -- on either side of the table. In the end, everyone loses -- customers, companies, employees, communities and other key stakeholders.

"Trust in leadership" is also declining. This is not a political statement, but when candidate William Clinton said he didn't "inhale," did we really believe him? While many would like to believe the what the "boss" says is gospel, many are skeptical -- and with good reason. The predominant style of management has been "command and control" -- or management by fear. Moreover, the promises of continued employment in exchange for good work no longer apply. Beset by mergers, takeovers and job loss, workers are understandably distrustful -- especially when they've been told "nothing will change" or "this is the last downsizing." They've heard it all before. Even good intentioned organizations like LEVI SRAUSS have been unable to avoid the pain of plant closings and retrenchment.

"Downsizing" as a tool of modern management has become a significant factor contributing to increased anxiety and anger in the workplace. For several years now we have been engaging in a form of "ethnic cleansing" in the name of corporate self-interest. Most affected are older workers, minorities -- and let's be real! -- departments and people "we don't much particularly care for" any more. All you have to do is look at who is getting fired and talk to them, as I have.

Tom had worked for a Fortune 50 life insurance company as regional manager for more than 20 years and had taken a territory from "dead last" to one of the "top 5" in the country, he reported. Moments after the new vice president landed, Tom was told his office was being closed. As Tom drove from the airport, he asked, "What about me?" The answer was blood curdling. "You've been 23 years with the company. You've got a wall full of plaques. We've paid you well, and we owe you nothing!" It took Tom a while to get that "chip" off his shoulder.

Ann, on the other hand, was "downsized with the greatest group of people you could ever want to be with ... we were all 'toasted' on the same day. I was really proud of us as a group; we supported each other to the bitter end." A former employee of a Fortune 50 financial services company, she recounts, "I was there for 16 years. Even though I've been away for almost a year, I have residual anger, but it's towards the senior management of the company. It's my view they didn't have a grasp of what needed to be done to take the company to the next level ... they decided to sell while their shares were still worth something. And, we were 'toast.' "

Jan, a former employee of a northeast utility, recalls, "On the last day, I went in, did my thing, cleaned off my computer, walked out the door, and that was it!" "It was anticlimactic, except that my co-workers were very upset. We had worked together for almost 12 years. It was very emotional ... difficult ... very difficult ... something I wouldn't want to go through again. I hope never to work for another corporation. I won't place my future in someone else's hands."

1998 was the worst year in recent times for job loss. The total is estimated at more than 675,000 and 1999 is predicted to be even worse. In fact, in the week just after Thanksgiving of this last year, corporate announcements by major corporations reported over 77,000 planned layoffs. And, while three (3) jobs are created for every one (1) lost, new jobs -- many in the service sector -- are at significantly lower levels of income. Indeed, according to one New York-based think tank, the CENTURY FOUNDATION, 1% of the U.S. population controls 48% of the wealth. The middle class is shrinking and the poor are getting poorer.

Fortunately, any number of community organizations and professional outplacement firms are lending "dignity" to separation for many individuals and families caught in the web of downsizing. (I see Tom LaBaugh is here from LABAUGH AND ASSOCIATES -- an OI Partner firm specializing in outplacement. Tom was a guest of our series and is also President of the HURSTBOURNE SUNRISE ROTARY CLUB.) Indeed, downsizing not only affects those who are released from employment but also those remaining in the workforce who are required to do even "more with less."

As one person recently observed, the fate of those left behind in the workplace is exploitive, as people work longer hours and receive less in the way of recognition and rewards. "We're beginning to see the dawning of a new millennium sweatshop," he said. On the flip side of the same coin, the economic fortunes of those remaining are linked to the fate of the organizations they serve, as pensions and alternative pay programs are funded with stock and stock options -- the IOUs of the companies who employ them. This is both good news and bad news. It's good in that employees are participating in the wealth created by their organizations. On the downside, it's a subtle reminder that punishing work environments pay their workers to experience pain. As one "downsized" employee recently reported, "I'm glad I no longer work (for my former employer), but my stock keeps going up." Ironically, less than half the firms who downsize their organizations realize the kinds on returns envisioned at the outset. And once they've shrunk the organization, more than likely they'll do it again.

Conversely, organizations with pro-people practices, like SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, THE MEN'S WEARHOUSE, SERVICE MASTER, and TOYOTA, treat their people with dignity and respect, and their profit performance is outstanding.

Discrimination and other unlawful harassment are on the rise. Costs can be measured in turnover, absenteeism, reduced productivity, costly healthcare claims, legal fees, quality of life, and loss of technical competence.

(As an aside, client firms asked us to conduct more than three (3) dozen workshops on sexual and other unlawful harassment since the first of this year alone.)

As I recently learned in speaking before the METRO DISABILITY COALITION here in Louisville, people with disabilities know better than most how hard it is to stay positive. Talk about anger IN the workplace, many are angry because they're kept OUT of the workplace. But, those who do get hired are oftentimes confronted, at a minimum, with indifference. One woman told me she had not been instructed on emergency evacuation procedures, including how to find the nearest exit in the event of fire or other emergency -- no big deal, right? Except she's blind.

According to the KENTUCKY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, claims of discrimination in employment filed by people with disabilities rank as the third highest category of discrimination cases in Kentucky, with race and sex discrimination being first and second, in that order.

Out of some nearly 10,000 cases filed annually in our state, approximately 1,500 to 1,700 are employment claims filed by disabled persons.

In 1998 two (2) Supreme Court decisions involving sexual discrimination charges -- the cases involved the CITY OF BOCA RATON and BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES -- put employers on notice. No longer is it sufficient to have policies without "teeth." Employers have to provide regular communication, education and enforcement of "sexual and other unlawful harassment" policies or risk severe penalty in the event of a successful charge.

This year will see new develops by the Supreme Court in the area of ADA -- the Americans with Disabilities Act -- a law that has been on the books for more than ten (10) years, but which has not had the kind of testing or attention it is about to get. And, I predict, we'll see more charges of discrimination as a result.

Women and minorities continue to be on the lower end of the economic pay scale in any number of organizations. In fact, women are leaving "big business" in record numbers to form their own businesses. According to the NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS, women-owned businesses account for more than a third of all U.S. businesses.

Hate is on the rise in America. The murder of a 21 year old gay man, Matthew Shepard, in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 evoked widespread revulsion -- while igniting at the same time a political revolution. Even in Louisville the recent passage of the fairness ordinance stirred resentments which were painful to those on both sides of the issues. But, believe it or not, most hate crimes are perpetrated by teenagers. Thanks to television, the Internet and other electronic media, violence has become the all too familiar behavior for expressing anger. Today, you can learn how to build a bomb or come to hate some specific group or class of citizens with the click of a mouse.

I asked Beverly Watts, Executive Director for the KENTUCKY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS whether conditions were improving in the workplace. Her response was decidedly not. "Indeed," she said, "things seem to be getting somewhat worse."

To sum it all up, American workers -- living and working in a complex society prone to violence -- are being ignored and abandoned in any number of organizations today. And what gives rise to their anger is the "threat" of loss or "actual" loss of security, understanding, recognition, and respect.

Compounding this condition is the fact that many employees are unaware or unskilled at managing their own anger OR in getting their needs met. And, managers are no better at it!

Well, if you think things are rough now, to coin a old phrase, "you ain't seen nothing yet."

So what can be done to address these concerns? Some of the answers are apparent, but not easy. As Alan Briskin, author of The Stirring of the Soul in the Workplace, commented in our series, "I think it's essential we understand our anger is not solely in ourselves but in the environments we create. Anger by itself is not a problem. It's only a problem when it's internalized, when YOU feel you're the only one who has to carry the burden. If there's anger in the workplace, it's a signal there's something wrong in the system, and it's our collective jobs to try to speak to that."

So here's my short list of ten (10) suggestions.

1. We need to begin by examining our own attitudes and beliefs about people we work with and supervise. If we demean and belittle people, we'll reap what we sow. Even "indifference" and blind "obedience" are forms of passive aggression. Witness the recent pilot sick-out at AMERICAN AIRLINES or the air traffic controllers by-the-book compliance to FAA regulations under the Regan administration, which brought air transportation to a virtual crawl. It may look "friendly" and "non-threatening" to the casual observer, but watch out for the results of the anger that is unmistakingly there.

2. Invest in training. Teach people how to communicate respectfully and how to differ constructively. Models of effective communication and anger management are available through universities, associations, and consulting firms like ours, and people can be taught how and when to use them. Processes of facilitation and mediation are also effective means for managing communication and resolving differences.

3. Know the law. Indeed, if you concentrate on "valuing personal and psychological boundaries" -- in other words respecting individual needs and differences, you'll have gone a long way to changing the environment and to complying with prevailing regulations regarding fairness and equal opportunity.

4. Conduct environmental audits on a regular basis to determine the level of risk that exists in your organization. And, if you retain people like us, be prepared to implement recommended actions.

5. Adopt what I call "neighborhood watch" programs for your organization. Teach managers and co-employees how to recognize the telltale signs of danger. Establish policies of "zero tolerance" and educate managers and non-managers alike as to the need for compliance.

6. Respect human dignity. We criticize nations for human rights violations -- when we need to examine our own house first. Responsible organizations conduct business in a responsible way. Many have been "strip mining" the human resources of their organizations for years. We need to value our people the way we're trying to value our environment. We have to change our "throw away" management practices to practices of "conservation" and "recycling" -- You'd think with record-level unemployment in this country, we'd have gotten the idea by now. Many haven't, apparently, but they need to.

7. Pay attention to the young people in our schools and in our organizations. They need good parenting, good teaching, good mentoring, and community members, like our dame and fellow Rotarians, who demonstrate their care, interest, and attention.

8. In lieu of "loyalty" we need to foster models of "collaboration" and "cooperation" where "equals" work together to develop relationships of trust and mutual respect.

9. We need the corporate community to develop new models of "cross-corporate" responsibility and cooperation. By way of example, I recently discovered a number of companies in one area of New England who are "loaning" their employees during slow times to other companies for a set number of weeks. Rather than break the bonds of employment, they are strengthening their relations with their people and their entire economic community at the same time.

10. Finally and most importantly, we need to decide when "enough" is "enough." When CEOs get multi-million dollar awards for what constitutes economic genocide, and the god of "profit" holds our human values ransom, we must ask ourselves what we are doing to build a better world. We need to stop looking just at our individual balance sheets and look at the effect we are having on others, our communities, our environment, our world as a whole. Putting people out of work, when they could otherwise be contributing to our tax base, including Social Security, is long-term Russian roulette.

My list is by no means complete, and you may not agree with my observations; but we must heed the call for action. Time is running out. The children of COLUMBINE HIGH -- like so many others across the United States are coming to the workplace soon. Indeed, they are here, as we speak. What they find, what they bring, and what happens in the future depends on how you and I shape OUR world and THEIRS. The stakes are high, but so are the potential rewards.

I'm Brayton Bowen. Thanks for listening.