The Psychology of the workplace

Psychology can be defined as the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, esp. those affecting behavior in a given context or the mental and emotional factors governing a situation or activity. That said, a simplified definition of workplace psychology can bethe set of mental and emotional factors that govern the workplace.

You may be wondering, what does psychology have to do with the workplace? Permit me to explain. When applying for a job the first thing we tend to assess are the qualifications that it requires and we match our skill-set with that of the position to determine whether or not we should apply. Conventional wisdom also teaches us that if you are lacking some essential skill-set required, then it is your responsibility to go out and get it. Meaning, signing up for some course or degree, doing some training or self-study. What is often overlooked is the psychology that is required to be successful.

In some contexts, the psychology is just as or even more important to being successful than the actual qualifications themselves. Some professions require you to have thick skin and others are a lot less stressful. Regardless of what part of the psychological spectrum your office requires, you will fail if you do not play by the rules. The emotional and mental factors that govern a particular job are very specific: in the same office, someone can be experiencing sheer torture while another is in pure bliss and fulfillment. The responsibility is then yours to recognize what is required for you to be successful.

Some workplaces are very fast paced where shouting and yelling at each other are a common practice. If you are a withdrawn and soft spoken person who likes a ‘thank you’ after completing every task then a place like that may not be for you. Or maybe a sales type job where the competition can be very high, you cannot enter such an arena as a naïve salesman that shares all the tips and insider tricks you used to close a deal. You would not last very long and if you do last, you may not be very successful. On the flip side, if you are in an office that is very quiet and every speaks with a whisper and you are brash, loud mouthed and outspoken, it may serve you well to find your inside voice very quickly else you will find it very hard to fit in.

The purpose of today’s blog is to bring to your awareness that being successful is way much more than having the qualifications for a job. It hinges on your ability to discern the mental and emotional factors that are at play in your given workplace and then to act accordingly. So if you find yourself struggling to settle in at your place of work ask yourself, have I have mastered the psychology that is required to be successful at this job? Don’t mistake an opportunity to change your situation for a reason to leave; learning the psychology might be the key to turning things around.

Until next time remember: As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.