Trans-acting in the Workplace

Skills That Enhance Workplace Interaction

 
Trans-acting in the Workplace

• Interest and information about workplace interaction can be found in 

the following:

Team building literature and research

Organizational systems theory 

Leadership studies 

Exchange theory 

Organization development 

Human resources literature and research

Conflict studies 

Clinical practice and research 

Executive coaching and counseling

Workplace systems analysis

Communication studies

 The field of psychology
Trans-acting

• Trans-acting refers to the interaction taking place between two or 

more people and utilizes specific skills and abilities referred to as 

the “building blocks” of interaction, regardless of the context of 

interaction.
Select Building Blocks

•Select building blocks believed to be related to positive 

trans-acting in the workplace include:

Trust and collaboration skills are two important 

building blocks of trans-acting
Problematic trans-actions

• Difficult interactions, lack of communication, conflict, low morale, 

dysfunctional behavior, inaction, passive-aggressive behavior, leadership 

deficits, bullying, job dissatisfaction, express the most commonly used 

descriptions when differences between people vary to a significant degree. 

• “Problem behaviors” become a pattern of trans-acting that requires 

interventions if they are to change so that trans-acting takes on a more 

constructive or positive character.
Employee Typology

• Employees can be typed according to their 

use of specific communication skills.
How Employees Can Be Helped

• Understanding patterns of trans-acting between employees and 

employers and assessing what can be done to help everyone in the 

workplace improve their trans-actions with others
How Employers Can be Helped

• Understanding the basis of communication with reports 

and improving self-understanding of personal trans- actional style
Coaching and Counseling

• Individual and group behavioral assessment will aid 

efforts to coach and counsel individuals.
“Qualifying Markers” – What to Look For (cont.)

• Pressured employee

• High level of dissatisfaction with job

• Have positive attitude toward workplace

• They don’t seem to be going anywhere in job

• Evaluations are “satisfactory” or below

• Don’t have positive interactio
“Qualifying Markers” – What to Look For (cont.)

• Situationally-limited trans-acting optimizer

• Optimal trans-actional skills

• Believe the workplace is out of sync with them and 

look to the workplace to change

• Believe their potential is not fulfilled

• Try to achieve their potential in spite of the workplace

• Try to change the workplace

• Most critical of managers and fellow employees

• A move may not be out of the question
“Qualifying Markers” – What to Look For (cont.)

• In-sync performer

• Staff and workplace are in sync

• Neither staff nor workplace operate at the highest 

level of achievement however

• Workplace may reach some goals but success is 

lack-luster

• No one excels even though in sync

• Are comfortable in their jobs

• May not be totally satisfied with their achievement
“Qualifying Markers” – What to Look For (cont.)

• Low-level underperformer

• Similar to, but differs from, aware underperformer in 

that underachieving is greater and the workplace is to 

blame

• Trans-acting with peers and supers is unsatisfactory

• Thinks of leaving job but has skill deficits

• Periodic evaluations are the basis for dissatisfaction 

and grievances

• Level and support for retraining is limited or lacking
“Qualifying Markers” – What to Look For (cont.)

• Outward-looking employee

• Most dissatisfying work situation

• Employees see themselves as highly competent

• Possess the skills for successful trans-acting

• The workplace is viewed as stultifying

• Not committed to work at a high performance level

• They are the most out-ward looking of employees 
“Qualifying Markers” – What to Look For (cont.)

• High criticizer

• Average level of dissatisfaction with job

• Employer doesn’t set high goals

• Thinks that the work environment is under-performing

• Work environment doesn’t support positive transaction and skill development

• Critical of agency’s work output

• Critical of agency’s leadership

• Have plans to leave the organization
“Qualifying Markers” – What to Look For (cont.)

• In-sync underperformer

• Organization is the most dysfunctional

• Employee identifies his or her skills as low level and has a 

negative opinion about the work place

• Employee and leadership are resigned to low-level performance 

and not aware of skills necessary to increase success

• Not aware of the skills necessary for successful trans-acting nor 

how these skills are related to organizational success

• Level of dissatisfaction is high and motivation to leave job, 

including retirement, is low
Interventions

• Trust

• Use of questions that try to uncover lack of trust or find out who can’t be trusted.

• What can be done to encourage trust if it is valued?

• What happens that affects trust in the workplace?

• Strategies:

• Traded assurances

• Use of focus group and action plan

• Discuss “betrayal” hot spots

• Baby steps to build trust activities
Interventions (cont.)

• Collaboration

• Finding common interests

• Put positions aside for a while

• Assessing recognition of the interests of others

• Developing common principles

• Strategies:

• Planning future activities

• Working together on a detail

• Generating joint expectations
Interventions (cont.)

• Adaptability v. Inflexibility

• How willing to change is the employee?

• When is the employee adaptive and inflexible? (New tasks; old 

routines?)

• What kind of job do you think the employee does at balancing these 

two extremes?

• Who is the employee adaptable and inflexible with?

• Strategies:

• Try switching hats: when inflexible try adaptability, etc..

• Generate examples pushing adaptability and inflexibility to the extreme –

paradox.

• Try realistic approach, i.e. does it make sense? 
Interventions (cont.)

• Communication

• What type of communicator? (Verbal, auditory, e-mail.)

• How are attempts to communicate received?

• Does the decision-making structure impede communication?

• What about intractable differences?

• Strategies:

• Active listening

• Opening channels of communication

• Periodic meetings to facilitate communication

• Coaching and counseling
Interventions (cont.)

• Risk v. Certitude

• What types of risks are taken in the workplace?

• Is the workplace a “risky” place to be and why?

• How are risk and certitude balanced?

• How does the workplace respond to mistakes in judgment?

• Strategies:

• Practice risk taking and certitude – increase comfort level

• Locate fear “hot spots”

• Construct list of workplace activities and rank them based on risk 

and certitude for the employee
Interventions (cont.)

• Emotion v. Rationality

• How does the employee balance these two?

• Is one relied on more than another when interacting with others in the 

workplace?

• How does the employee describe him/herself as far as emotion and rationality?

• How do others characterize the employee on this continuum? (Does the 

employee know the answer to this question?)

• Is there any evidence of inappropriate responses?

• Strategies:

• Paradox 

• Searching for appropriate balance using real life examples.

• Switch hats to illustrate the inappropriateness of responding to any situation using 

only one. 
Interventions (cont.)

• Autonomy v. Group

• How does the individual test taker balance autonomy and 

group demands?

• Does the test taker believe that he or she is valued for 

individual thinking?

• How do others in the workplace respond to individual thinking?

• How strong is the commitment to “group think”?

• Strategies:

• Facilitate a discussion exploring when individual behavior is 

appropriate and when the group’s wishes are more important.

• Discuss topics in which the employee believes others demand too 

much conformity

• Explore what the employee believes should occur in an ideal 

workplace.
Interventions (cont.)

• Ego Strength

• Do circumstances exist when one is asked to “back down” from 

a position?

• Does the employee have a high regard for him/herself?

• Is it important for the employee to prevail in an argument?

• Does the employee believe that others have a positive or 

negative opinion about his/her strong ego?

• Strategies:

• Probe as to whether others in the workplace appreciate the strong 

ego of the employee.

• Discuss when a strong ego is helpful or harmful in the workplace.

• Discuss whether the employee ever is unsure of him/herself.
Interventions (cont.)

• Future v. Past

• How does the employee balance thinking about the importance of 

the past and importance of the future?

• When does the employee rely on the past and when is the future 

relied upon?

• Is the workplace, according to the employee, rooted in the past or 

forward thinking?

• Strategies:

• Given a series of tasks or topics, how does an employee balance the 

past and the future?

• Discuss people in the workplace and whether they are inclined to 

base their actions on the past or future and why.

• Considering the mission of the organization how is the past and future 

balanced by those in the workplace?
For more information, contact:

• Dr. Peter R. Maida

Link to Dr. Peter Maida's email

Cell: 202-285-2510

Office: 202-730-0864, 0864

Fax: 202-730-1826

SKYPE: peter.maida89

FACETIME: 202-730-0864