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Dr Mariheca Otto Director B.Com (Hons: Industrial Psychology and Sociology), HED, M.Com and PhD in Business Management Dr Mariheca Otto is the face behind the Motto brand. She has delivered papers at conferences such as the ICCM, hosted by the Industrial Psychology Department of Stellenbosch University, and the South African Institute of Management Scientists' (SAIMS) annual conferences. Her research is not only published in academic publications, but also in newspaper articles. She has lecturing experience. She also has consulting and management experience in local government and various service industries. Staff related issues is her chosen field of expertise because she believes this is an organisation's number one tool to increase staff performance which generally results in increased profits.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Awakening the tigress within

Since forever I remember my mom referring to herself as a tigress when she felt someone was attempting to hurt her 'little ones'. She would become rather irrational and over-powering, to put it politely. Not much has changed since. We are now all grown-ups with our own brood, so she just has a few more to be over-protective of.

This week I saw my own tigress awaken. It was not pretty. There were images of the tiger ripping off a head (remember some of those scenes in the TV series Ally McBeal many moons ago?). It took every last bit of self-control not to pounce on a boy who has been bullying one of my kids.

Ironically I feel so incredibly sorry for this bully-boy, in spite of my own anger and sleepless nights. He is largely a victim of his circumstances, as most bullies are. What really saddens me about this whole situation is that I know that the source of his own anger can be traced back: parents' behaviour and their parents' behavioural patterns.

The ripple effect this initial anger from a grandparent has created, is visible in this child currently acting out and subsequently wobbling the behaviour of his peers, younger school kids and subsequently their siblings at home.

Granted, I know that I cannot blame the old man for my child's hurt. I just know that we have to be aware of this ripple effect caused by our actions. Specifically how we deal, or not deal, with our anger. At some point we have to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, why am I so incredibly angry?

In a conversation I overheard today a woman was talking, almost bragging, about her road rage track record. She knew exactly where it came from. An accident a few years ago, associated with lots of pain, fear and sadness, triggered the volatility.
Anger comes up in the strangest of places, and the fierceness thereof is often unexpected. Whether it is a slow driver in the fast lane or a bully on the playground that is your trigger, we all have them. What to do with it, now that is the challenge.


Motto Model: http://goo.gl/cNnpy and Motto Individual Assessment: http://goo.gl/UhC7V 
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