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Adapting Rebt To The World of Business
Adapting Rebt To The World of Business
Adapting Rebt To The World of Business
REBT focuses on the here and now rather than wasting time and
money uselessly mucking around in the past searching for the origins of
present day issues.
REBT is logical, focused, relatively straightforward, and makes perfect
sense to the business person; there is little if any popular psychobabble
that is so off-putting to these hard nosed managers and executives.
In addition to helping to solve presenting problems, REBT teaches pow-
erful psychological tools that can be used to help prevent and solve
future issues.
The principles of REBT are applied directly to the issues at hand; there
are no unrelated exercises such as climbing rocks with ropes or falling
into co-workers arms that supposedly transfer to the issues back at the
office.
Clear homework assignmentsaction plans in business parlanceare
part of the REBT approach (both reading and real-life practice) which
force mangers and executives and teams move up the learning curve.
A REBT trained therapist/consultant does not hesitate to participate
actively in the dialogue, giving direct feedback, advice, opinions, as well
as teaching psychological principles applicable to the issue at hand (con-
trary to the continuous, irritable, but popular therapeutic technique of
reversing questions, throwing them back at the client).
REBT focuses on thinking and action as well as feelings, thus avoiding
the over emphasis on how you feel, which business people can hardly
tolerate and have often had too much exposure to from more tradition-
ally trained therapist/consultants.
Most consultants and coaches focus primarily on helping businesses
and business people to determine what to change or do differently.
REBT trained consultants importantly focus at least as much on the
principles and psychological tools relevant to how to change; in fact,
very often business clients know full well what to change, but are
William D. Criddle 89
Needless to say, very few business men and women have any
awareness or understanding of REBT. In fact, it is likely that they
are expecting a more traditional, touchy-feely orientation coming
from a professional with the label psychologist, even if it is prefaced
by management, as in management psychologist. Unfortunately,
many have had unfavorable experiences with business psychologists,
which they recall as a total waste of time, energy and money. A clas-
sic example is having had a consultant diagnose a teams problem as
a trust issue, then guiding the team members through a series of
exercises such as allowing oneself to fall into each others arms, as a
way to rebuild lost trust. Most senior managers and executives have
little tolerance for such foolishness. It is critical to clearly differenti-
ate the unique and business-friendly aspects of the REBT approach.
Such product differentiation is a key element of successful mar-
keting in the corporate world. How you market your productREBT
based consulting or coachingin this world of business is very differ-
ent to the clinical realm. Marketing a REBT clinical practice usually
is much more passive: list in the yellow pages, make a favorable
impression on a few general practitioner physicians, go to a few local
professional meetings, and gradually build a reputation as a REBT
therapist, and a good word of mouth network in the community,
which yield a steady flow of clinical clients.
To be successful in the business world, much more active market-
ing is necessary. Because the barriers to entry in the field of helping
businesses with people problems are essentially nonexistent, the
competition is fierce. The REBT consultants are attempting to feed at
the same trough as the motivational speakers, the hundreds of other
clinicians-turned-consultants, the management consultants, as well
as the newly minted life coaches graduating in hordes from the many
coaching institutes popping up around the country. So the impor-
tant question the REBT consultant needs to answer is Why should
they hire you as opposed to one of the others? To answer this ques-
tion in a way that yields actual engagements, you need to personally
90 Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
A DIFFERENT CULTURE
REBT was developed in and for the clinical world, and REBT prac-
titioners for the most part grew up in the treatment world. There are
very few similarities between this world and that of the corporation
or the business world. The corporate world is focused on winning:
gaining market share, beating out the competition, increasing pro-
ductivity, helping their employees be more effective and efficient on
the job, and ultimately, increasing profits. Firms are willing to pay
serious money to identify and minimize any obstacles to these goals,
such as a dysfunctional work-group or team, a derailing manager or
executive, or lack of needed management or leadership skills. Few
corporations have much, if any, concern about their managers feel-
ings, personal problems, or psychological health, other than how they
effect the bottom line. However, they are willing to pay psychologists
substantial fees to fix business related problems as effectively and
efficiently as possible, a huge advantage for REBT.
When entering the corporate world, it becomes immediately obvi-
ous that the attitude toward the psychologist is very different than in
the clinical world. The typical doctorpatient relationship with its
strong emotional bonds is replaced by objectivity at best, with skepti-
cism being more likely. In the business world, the psychologist is
looked at much more as a management consultanta highly trained
professional who is getting paid to solve or prevent a problem. Being
hired as an outside expert rather than as a personal therapist has
William D. Criddle 91
being made by your client between what you are doing and the
defined problem; make it explicit; verbally state what the connection
is, how taking your advice or changing an attitude or doing some
behavioral homework will help resolve the business problem at hand.
The list of irrational ideas and their consequences in the work-
place is a portion of a handout I often give to business clients
which specifically spells out potential, negative consequences which
may result from holding the given irrational attitude or manage-
ment philosophy.
An overly rigid and demanding attitude about the exact way tasks,
assignments, procedures must be or should be carried out which
results in or contributes to:
becoming angry with individuals who make errors or dont follow proce-
dures to the letter
anger that breaks down or prevents the building of good relationships
and undermines morale
the stifling of creativity and risk taking by subordinates
micromanaging, keeping too close an eye on things, which hinders inde-
pendent development and often increases tension
William D. Criddle 93
A DIFFERENT CLIENT
more effectively to achieve business goals. His work group may not be
functioning well as a team; his most recent 360 degree assessment
may indicate he is not seen as an effective leader; he may have a
chronic procrastination and time management problem that his board
has demanded he address; he may be looking for an executive coach to
work with one of his direct reports to help him prepare for a planned
promotion in the near future. There definitely is a sense of urgency;
he is looking for effectiveness and efficiency from the psychologist and
is constantly weighing the costsin both time and moneyagainst an
improved bottom line. He has no desire to discuss the psychological
intricacies of his or others issues; he wants tools he can use to
achieve his goal as quickly and as cost effectively as possible.
Psychologists in the business world are frequently working with
quite senior members of a firm; in fact, they frequently are dealing
with senior executives, if not the CEO of a company. These individu-
als are high achievers, generally quite bright, and very self-confident.
Thus, compared to a typical clinical client, they are much more likely
to confront the psychologist, to challenge ideas, to ask for evidence,
call bull shit regarding ideas they dont agree with; they are gener-
ally much less acquiescent, compliant, and accepting of what the psy-
chologist has to say.
RETB therapists are trained to be confrontational and challenging,
and to debate and convince clients of the nuttiness of their ideas. In
the business setting, one needs to be even more ready to be so, to
have more thorough and convincing arguments, and be prepared to
be the recipient of client-initiated challenges to their ideas. REBT
clinicians are well trained to monitor the level of upsettedness in cli-
ents, to back-off when coming on too harshly or powerfully, to com-
fort clients who are becoming upset and withdrawn. This is rarely
necessary in the business setting; these well functioning and confi-
dent individuals often thrive on confrontation and rarely take things
personally.
Even a seasoned REBT therapist needs to be emotionally and intel-
lectually tougher than usual to successfully handle these situations. It
is important that the REBT consultant be ready to use REBT on him-
self so as not to take these intense confrontations personally, or worry
excessively about success and approval. However, it is challenging
and exciting when you are ready for it. These challenges and confron-
tations can occur in any one of the variety of applications of REBT to
the business world: one-on-one coaching, small group or team work,
William D. Criddle 95
One-on-one Coaching
Group Work
Working with groups in the business world versus the clinical also
has significant differences. The REBT group therapy situation most
often involves members of the group presenting a situation that has
happen since they last spoke up, such as how a given homework
assignment worked out, or how they were upset in some life situa-
tion. Then the group and REBT therapist help the individual identify
100 Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
and challenge irrational ideas and usually assign new homework for
them to attempt out in their real world.
Working with a work group or team is more like individual REBT;
it is very real-time. The focus is how the members present, that
make up the team, work together. Interpersonal conflicts come up,
grudges are revealed, and those involved are face-to-face, experienc-
ing their feelings as we work. This is more similar to individual
REBT than group therapy in that the tools and principles of REBT
are applied to actual emotional responses as they evolve within the
work group. However, it is more complex due to the number of indi-
viduals involved. An emotional or behavioral response often is quick-
ly responded to with counter responses. These interactions, which
can be quite intense, are excellent grist for the mill, and they clearly
illustrate how counter productive such over-reactions are to good
teamwork and group productivity. In the corporate setting, the con-
sultant can ask to meet with sub-groups or individual team members
if needed.
A good example of REBT consulting focused on helping a dys-
functional team is an assignment I had from a medium sized man-
ufacturing firm in the San Francisco area. I was first contacted by
a senior vice president to whom the team leader reported. As is
often the case in the corporate world, the consultant is brought in
by someone outside the problem at hand. So the initial challenge
may be winning the confidence of a somewhat skeptical manager
who does not know you from Adam. When I met with the team
leader, she described the various issues she observed her team to
be struggling with: personality conflicts, hostility, inability for some
individuals to effectively work together, poor communication, low
morale, and a few members asking to be transferred to a different
group.
Different from the clinical situation where the therapist builds the
group from his therapy practice, the corporate consultant is usually
presented with the group as a whole, and the group is given little or
no choice in the matter. Other than a brief meeting with the leader,
he knows no one in the group. My usual approach to a team involves
a number of steps:
Meet with each member of the group individually to hear their concerns
and observations (source kept confidential; issues can be revealed);
Develop a plan of attack (working with group as a whole; a sub-group;
certain individuals one-on-one; coaching the leader)
With this group, I decided to work with the team as a whole at first,
and, as they developed the skills needed to work on their own, finish
up by coaching the leader as needed. In the clinical setting, all group
members are well versed in REBT, having been in individual
therapy. In the corporate setting, it is improbable that they have
never heard of REBT and they thus need education regarding the
basic principles the consultant will be using. One approach is to
gradually introduce the basics as you work on specific issues, such as
a member becoming angry. I have found it more useful to run a mini-
workshop with the team right at the beginning of my work with
them, including having them all read Dom DiMattias Rational Effec-
tiveness Training (DiMattia, 1990) along with some of my own hand-
outs, prior to the meeting if possible. I usually present three generic
goals or steps:
I point out that to master each skill, they have to have mastered the
previous one; you cant communicate effectively with your emotions out
of control, and you cant problem solve without being able to communi-
cate effectively. The principles of REBT are the essence of the first
step. In this situation, emotionsanger, hostility, anxietywere
running high. As soon as I presented the REBT basics (ABC theory,
identifying irrational beliefs, challenging and changing iBs, etc.), I
presented them with a list of the problem areas I had garnered from
my interview data, and began having them apply the REBT principles
to these issues. This process precipitated intense discussion through
which the REBT principles were further reinforced and applied to an
even wider variety of work issues. At this time the consultant can start
to integrate communication skills and then problem solving skills as
the discussion moves along into actual work issues.
My next step with this group was to start sitting in on their work
meetings. I sat in the corner of the room, observed the discussion,
and stopped the action whenever constructive work started to
102 Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
Conflict Resolution
One of the most fertile areas of work for a psychologist in the busi-
ness world is the family business. Inevitably, the founder of a family
business grooms his children to take over, and all too often leaves it
to his kids equally, assuming that they will happily run the business
as a team for years to come. Luckily for consulting psychologists, this
is a rare occurrence; most sibling teams need help if they are going
work as an effective team. And more than a few need serious help
William D. Criddle 103
just to keep from killing each other. These cases are analogous to
either marriage counseling (when there are two siblings) or family
therapy, in the clinical world.
The REBT approach to family business conflicts is very similar to the
REBT clinical approach to marriage or family therapy. Initially, the
consultant may meet with the family or siblings together; observing
how they interact, emote, communicate, and present their issues. Most
often the next step is meeting with each member of the family alone,
then formulating a game plan which may involve individual coaching,
group facilitation, and working with smaller sub-groups if necessary. I
frequently work from the format mentioned earlier: teaching emotional
control skills, then communication skills, then problem solving skills.
Then, if successful, gradually work myself out of a job.
There are a number of interesting dynamics in most family busi-
nesses where the second generation-siblings are running the show.
The serious, hard-working sibling is critical of his spoiled, slack-ass
usually younger brothers or sisters and thinks they are making way
too much money; these younger sibs feel hurt, unappreciated, and
pissed off. All of them are most likely earning a salary far beyond
what they could in the real world and thus have to balance how far
they push their disputes so as not to kill the goose that is laying the
golden eggs. A demand for fairness is a huge issue, in terms of com-
pensation, perks, perceived workloads, titles, and so on. Spouses of
the family members may or may not be in the company, but they are
always active on the sidelines, urging their partner not to let others
push them around or take advantage of them. Usually there are no
escape clauses such as official buy-out agreements. And there are
long-standing grudges and resentments that have been sustained
cognitively and emotionally since childhood. It is true fertile ground
for the REBT consultant.
One of the most challenging aspects of working with many family
businesses is coping with their strong desire to explore their family
of origin; to go to the root of the present day problems; and to rel-
ive and process these historic issues. As all REBT therapists and
consultants know, this is an unnecessary waste of time. Working
with a family business, it can be a dangerous waste of time in that
often the business is going down hill fast due to the intense disputes,
and needs to be rescued quickly if it is to survive at all. In a large
non-family run corporation, the pressure in on the consultant to keep
the focus on the pragmatic aspects of running the business; in the
104 Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES