Prisoners of Our thought

Dr. Frankl’s work to guide our search for meaning no matter what job or
situation we are in, and to connect our work with the meaning in other
parts of our lives. These principles are as follows:

1. Choose your own attitude.

2. Commit to meaningful values.
3. Find meaning in the moment.
4. Don’t work against yourself.
5. Practice self-detachment.
6. Use creative distraction.
7. Transcend your personal interests.

Frankl’s logotherapy Frankl’s logotherapy was a method by which the

therapist helped the client become fully aware of this freedom of choice.

was a method by which the therapist helped the client become fully
aware of this freedom of choice.

When we choose our attitude, we

• canchoosetobringapositiveattitudetothesituation,
• adoptacreativeapproachtoimaginingwhatispossible,and
• unlockthepassionorenthusiasmthatmakesthepossibleactual.

Toxic

caused by organizations, the unrecognized value of engaging this pain,

and the already heavy workload of toxin handlers put the organization at
risk for not having the capacity to deal with the emotional pain it creates.

Specific SkillS Needed by AN efficieNt tOxiN HANdler

A Gallup poll of two million employees revealed the value of
compassionate managers, finding that most people value having a caring
boss higher than money or the fringe benefits they re- ceive. It takes
some basic skills to be an effective toxin handler:

• Readingemotionalcuesofothersandthemselves
• Keepingpeopleconnectedandincommunication
• Actingtoalleviatethesufferingofothers
• Mobilizingpeopletodealwiththeirpainandgetbacktoastablestate •
Buildingateamenvironmentthatrewardscompassionateaction

The impact of using these skills to diminish the emotional pain of even
one person in the organi- zation can have a significant positive impact
on the whole organization.

Compassionate organizations promote a healthy, productive culture

through a set of policies, procedures, and belief systems that produce
generative responses from people at all levels of the organization. Useful
compassionate practices include the following:

 Identifyingalinkbetweentheemotionalhealthoftheorganizationandth
ebottomline;

 Recognizingandrewardingmanagerswhoaregoodathandlingemotion
alpain;

 Usinghiringpracticesthatemphasizeattitudeaswellastechnicalskill;

 Maintainingfair-
mindedpracticesconsistentwithloyalty,responsibility,andthefosterin
g

of community in the workplace;

 Implementing intervention strategies during times of distress and

initiating rehab strate-
 gies to ensure long-term vitality; and

 Buildingaculturethatvaluescompassion.

Studies reveal a direct correlation between harmony in the

workplace (as a result of these com- passionate practices) and
company profits. For example, there is a 20 percent increase in
survival probability for firms that are one standard deviation above
the mean as compared to organiza- tions one standard deviation
below the mean on the dimension of valuing human resources.