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Explores the issue of workplace violence and stress in the USA. Examines the kinds of violence employees must face in the workplace and also looks at different kinds of stressors such as environmental, e.g. family dysfunction, racial oppression and sexual harassment. Addresses the question of employer responsibility and briefly proposes the development of training programmes for managers.

In decades past, workers were, in effect, told to leave their emotions at home and most complied. No more. A person with high emotional intelligence (EI) has the ability to understand and relate to people. In fact, this skill is now considered to have greater impact on individual and group performance than traditional measures of intelligence such as IQ. When emotional intelligence is present, there is increased employee cooperation, increased motivation, increased productivity, and increased profits. However, emotional intelligence is lacking in the US workplace. This lack is clearly chronicled in the comic strip, Dilbert, where Scott Adams, the creator, lampoons what occurs in the workplace: vapid corporate‐speak with no guts and no emotionally‐honest message. This article defines emotional intelligence, describes how the comic strip, Dilbert, daily depicts situations where emotional intelligence is lacking, and discusses the organizational benefits of having emotionally intelligent managers and employees.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/13665629410071216. When citing the article, please cite: Pamela R. Johnson, Julie Indvik, (1994), “The Impact of Unresolved Trauma on Career Management”, Employee Councelling Today, Vol. 6 Iss: 4, pp. 10 - 15.

Just as human capital is being increasingly recognized as the source of organizations′ sustained competitiveness in the global economy, so too must “mental capital” be recognized as the source of sustained career development for individuals in the “white water” business climate of the 1990s. Describes several tools for using mental capital proactively in order to enhance personal empowerment and manage careers more effectively. Methods for working directly with mental images can not only improve self‐fulfilling prophecies but also enhance creativity. These methods can also be useful for career practitioners in their role of educating employees in the use of inner resources.

Managing one′s career entails knowing if one is primarily intuitive or analytical when approaching tasks. Right‐brain management techniques rely on feelings – intuition and creativity – to solve problems. On the other hand, left‐brain‐oriented managers follow rational and logical methods of reasoning. Available research indicates that at top management levels right‐brain and integrative‐brain‐skills are needed more than purely left‐brain skills in decision making. Analysis is thought to be predominantly a left‐brain activity; intuition is traditionally seen as a right‐brain activity. It is the integration and synthesis of both left – and right‐brain activity which are critical to the management process. Left – and right‐brain hemisphericity is discussed, a brain development technique offered, interpersonal dynamics which employ the intuitive right‐brain in the management process suggested, and how brain hemisphericity and intuition enhance career management is indicated.

Most employees bring to their work many of the emotional characteristics and behaviour patterns they developed in childhood. For example, co‐workers become siblings and authority figures take on the roles of parents. Since 93 per cent of the US population has experienced a dysfunctional family of origin, they tend to re‐create dysfunctional patterns in the workplace. Considers several factors in managing the careers of adults abused as children. Defines child abuse, discusses adult patterns resulting from such trauma, examines the impact on working relationships and conflict management, and explores how human resource professionals and managers can foster career management for abused adults.

Depression strikes some 10 million US workers every year, costing US businesses as much as $43 billion annually in lost productivity and absenteeism. When people are depressed, they act out this depression in different ways. Men tend to “explode”, and women tend to “implode”. Looks at the causes of depression in the workplace, the costs to US businesses, and the training managers need to help their employees as well as their organizations.

Obnoxious behaviour has become endemic in the workplace. Some of the worst offences are: not turning off mobile phones in meetings; leaving a jammed printer, gossiping, and snapping at coworkers. Yet, it is this small stuff that relentlessly grinds down collegial working relationships. Incivility is at the low end of the continuum of workplace abuse. Workplace incivility is not violence or harassment or even open conflict, although it can build up to any of those things. Links between the work environment and indicators of employee loyalty, commitment, and productivity show this is not a “fluff” issue. In addition, a recent study on workplace incivility reveals that rude employees and managers can cost a company millions of dollars a year. This paper will look at a definition of incivility in the workplace, the causes of poor behaviour, the costs to organizations, and what employers can do to help.

Looks at how we bring the trauma of our childhood into the workplace, considering our “family” at work, and probes more deeply into traits which abused adults carry with them daily. Finally, explores the long‐lasting effects with regard to communication patterns in the workplace as they appear in conflict resolution, performance appraisals, relationships with authority figures and co‐workers, and suggests what employee assistance programmes can do to help adults who have been abused as children.

Analyses and gives an in‐depth study of depression and its effect in particular on the workforce. Points out the responsibility in management recognizing when the problem arises and taking appropriate steps to alleviate it. Depression at work takes many guises, for example, decreased productivity, accidents, low morale, etc., creating problems for both management and workers in lost time and financial loss. Concludes that with correct diagnosis and treatment, 80‐90 per cent of sufferers can be helped.