How to grapple with crisis in the workplace

From Crisis to Character
Author: Rozaine Cooray
Published by Forté

Reviewed by R.S. Karunaratne

From Crisis to Character is a collection of articles based on organisational psychology on how to navigate day-to-day challenges at work.

The celebrated clinical psychologist Louise Deacon in Brilliant Psychology said, “One of the most powerful forces in the world lies in between your ears. The human mind, working in combination with other minds, can achieve almost anything: dismantle the atom, build a cathedral, fly to the moon.”

Anyone who has studied or read psychology will know that it is a relatively new subject. However, psychology has branched off into many areas of human activities.

One of the areas psychology has invaded in recent times is organisational behaviour.

Although psychology is all about the mind and human behaviour it has now begun to probe organisations and how they work.

As a result, organisational psychologists such as Rozaine Cooray has come forward to serve society. Her contributions on the subject to newspapers were avidly read by business executives and psychology students. It is a pleasure to read them in a beautifully produced book. She has ample academic qualifications and wide experience to publish a book of this nature.

Universal reality

The book opens with a collection of introductory articles on organisation as a human, the factal organisation, a universal reality and crisis to character model.

The rest of the contents are divided into “I, You” and “We.” In the first section she takes the reader through a wide variety of subjects enlightening him on New Year resolutions, the battle with the ego, creativity, integrity, punctuality, emotions and stress.

In the second section titled “You” she writes about common topics such as Email, workplace, bullies at work, conflict, growth, depression, counselling, attitude and recruitment.

In the third section titled “We” the author explains what dignity of labour means.

Other topics include corporate social responsibility, fun at work, leadership, humility, organisational power, women in leadership, decision making, favouritism, rumours, age diversity, organisational justice and talent.

Although there are many highly qualified psychologists in our country, most of them do not have the time or inclination to write books or articles to newspapers to educate the public.

In this respect Rozaine Cooray stands out as a shining example who shares her knowledge and experience with readers.

Her decision to publish her articles in book form is commendable because readers find it difficult to collect newspaper clippings. What is more, she is one of the few local psychologists who have written books on organisational psychology.

Although some books on psychology are replete with jargon unintelligible to ordinary readers, From Crisis to Character has been written in a lucid and interesting manner. For instance, the opening chapter on “An organisation as a human being” is quite readable. It compares an organisation to the human body.

Using her exceptional writing skills the author gives a graphic account on growth, nutrition, transport, synthesis, excretion and reproduction bringing out the similarities between the human body and an organisation.

Consciousness

One major theme that runs throughout the book seems to be the importance of awareness or the presence of consciousness essential to personal growth.

Awareness acts as a precursor to curiosity for reality, information, love for learning, knowledge and most importantly wisdom. A major problem we experience in the workplace is working with others. Organisations recruit all types of people with different temperament. Some of them are easy to work with but there are some workers who refuse to cooperate with others. They have their own attitudes that do not agree with an organisation's aims and aspirations.

Organisational psychologists support the view that such people should be disciplined or removed from the organisation for the well-being of everybody.

The chapter on “The ultimate battle with the ego” should be made compulsory reading for certain bosses who think no end of themselves.

If a successful person is full of ego, there is something radically wrong with him. The problem with such people is that they do not realise their own folly and deep-seated conceit.

The author has a passion for writing and explaining complicated psychological concepts in simple terms. She has blazed a trail as a Business Psychologist and a creative writer.

Her novel Colours of the Sun was short-listed for the Gratiaen award and the State Literary Award in 2010. As a psychologist she finds joy in seeing people grow out of crisis and live happily.