Therapist and author Kathleen Smith discusses how people-pleasing behaviors at work are influenced by relationships, family systems, and individual tendencies. She explores breaking out of people-pleasing patterns and transitioning to healthier professional relationships. The podcast delves into understanding systems, navigating relationship dynamics, seeking praise, embracing uncertainty, and exploring constructive questioning for personal growth.
Understanding and improving workplace relationships can help shift away from people-pleasing tendencies towards success.
Recognizing family dynamics and patterns can lead to a more balanced approach for personal and professional growth.
Deep dives
The Impact of People-Pleasing at Work
People-pleasing behavior at work, such as avoiding conflict and saying yes to everything, can hinder career advancement. Therapist Kathleen Smith discusses how understanding and improving work relationships can shift individuals away from people-pleasing tendencies towards more functional and successful work dynamics.
Understanding Family Systems in Managing Anxiety
Bowen Family Systems theory emphasizes the impact of family dynamics on managing anxiety. Recognizing family as an emotional unit, where anxiety is managed collectively, helps individuals understand their functioning within larger systems and relationships, fostering a more balanced approach for personal growth.
Exploring Patterns in Relationship Dynamics
Patterns in relationships, like over-functioning and under-functioning, are common mechanisms to manage anxiety. Kathleen Smith highlights the significance of recognizing and altering these patterns, stressing that changes in any individual's behavior can positively impact overall system flexibility and functioning.
Shifting from Blame to Self-Reflection
Blame and seeking external validation often stem from anxiety. Encouraging self-reflection through growth-oriented questions can help individuals navigate workplace challenges with a systems thinking approach, fostering self-responsibility and constructive responses to anxiety in professional settings.
If you fall into certain people-pleasing behaviors at work, we have news: it’s not just an individual problem. Kathleen Smith, therapist and author of the new book True to You, explains how relationships, family ghosts, and systems inform our behavior in all kinds of ways, both inside and outside of the workplace. She explains how family systems theory is a helpful frame in this context, and how people can break out of their people-pleasing ways.