Reality television….what is it doing to us as a society? Does it lead to behavioral changes in a workforce? Recently I read that one of the contestants on The Bachelorette knew he was entering the game not wanting to win. His goal seemed to be to grab a couple of minutes of fame regardless of the impact of his behavior on those around him. He openly admitted he wasn’t attracted to the main character, that he had no intention of being with her and could basically care less. Assuming that all involved were there with the same good intentions, she was reduced to tears and experienced much misery as a result.
Is this what we have been reduced to? Have we become a society where people intentionally set out to hurt others in order for their own gain? And what about those who are watching this and enjoying it? Others have resorted to calling out that the woman in question ‘asked for it’ by being gullible or stupid. What causes people to progress down this path of deteriorating human behavior?
Within the workplace, what about those who intentionally throw their colleagues under the proverbial bus? What is to be gained by this? More and more, it appears that people have become almost incapable of choosing the mature and respectful option of having a face-to-face conversation using non-accusatory language and employing the skills of active listening. When we already know it does not work, why do people resort to playing passive-aggressive?
If Hollywood were to make a reality TV show about your workplace, what it would be called? What role would you play? Would you be denigrating others while looking for your two minutes of fame? Or would you be focusing on developing existing relationships while achieving your organization’s mission?