TRAN8FORMNG AGGRE88ON NTO

COMPA88ON

8UBMTTED BY:
NANA GOEL
MBA-B
A1802011177

An Aggressive Society

These days, our senses are bombarded with aggression. We are
constantly conIronted with global images oI unending, escalating war
and violence. In our personal lives, we encounter angry people cursing
into cell phones, watch TV talk shows where guests and audiences
intimidate each other verbally and sometimes physically, or attend
public meetings that disintegrate into shouting matches. Parents scream
Irom the sidelines oI their children's sports events: "Get aggressive!"
Employees are rewarded Ior aggressive timelines and plans. Dictionaries
deIine aggressive action as hostile, but also positively as assertive, bold,
and enterprising.
Aggression destroys relationships. People believe that in order to
survive, they must combat the opposition. Fear and anger destroy hope
Ior healthy communities, workgroups, Iamilies, and organizations.
Relationships Iracture, distrust increases, people retreat into selI-deIense
and isolation, paranoia becomes commonplace.
Aggression in Organizations
And organizational aggression is on the rise, mirroring the societal trend.
Competition has become increasingly ruthless, with strategies that aim
to destroy competitors and achieve total market domination rather than
strategies oI coexistence within well-deIined niches. In many
organizations, aggression is a nearly invisible medium that inIluences
decisions and actions. It's evident in the consistent use oI war and sports
metaphors. We "bring in the big guns," "dominate the Iield," plan "a
sneak attack," or "rally the troops." The resurgence oI command-and-
control leadership is a less obvious but strong Iorm oI aggression, where
the will oI one person is imposed on others with the demand Ior
obedience and compliance.

Increasing aggression is having a proIound impact on organizational
relationships. Distrust is on the rise, so much so that in one survey,
managers reported that the primary reason they attend meetings is
because they don't trust what their colleagues will do in their absence.
More employees are retreating into selI-protective stances, hoarding
resources and inIormation Ior Iear oI losing Iurther control oI their work.
And worker stress levels are at an all-time high. In Canada, one-third oI
lost work days are Irom emotional and psychological causes. Similar
statistics prevail in England and the United States.
Until we Iind alternative means to work together without so much
aggression, we will continue to experience increasing anger, Irustration,
impasse, and exhaustion.

Solving Problems Free from Aggression
For eons, humans have struggled to Iind non destructive ways oI living
together. Today, iI we are to resolve the serious problems that aIIlict and
impede us, we must Iind the means to work and live together with less
aggression.
To step aside Irom aggressive responses to problem solving requires a
little-used skill: :2ility. Humility is a brave act--we have to admit that
we don't have the answer. We need more inIormation, more insight. This
kind oI humility is rare in competitive, embattled organizations and
communities, but it is what we need to Iind real solutions. One wise
educator put it this way: "Humility is admitting that I don't know the
whole story. Compassion is recognizing that you don't know it either."
HopeIully, humility leads us out oI our bunkers to open ground, where
we step away Irom the rigidity oI our positions and become a bit
curious. We need to be open to the possibility that colleagues and even
strangers have inIormation and perspectives that may be oI value to us.
Only with their input do we stand a chance oI seeing this problem in all
its complexity. Every perspective, prejudice, and opinion oIIers more
inIormation. Our diIIerent positions allow us to see the situation more
Iully as soon as we realize that we're all on the same side--tat te
proble2 is te proble2.