The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Volume 12 Issue 2 June Article 10

May 1985

Verbal Strategies that Succeed when Job Performance Fails or Verbal Strategies that Succeed when Job Performance Fails or

How to Eschew Social Work through Convincing Conversation (A How to Eschew Social Work through Convincing Conversation (A

Pocket Guide for the Weary) Pocket Guide for the Weary)

Michelle Waters Georgia State University

Paula Dressel Georgia State University

Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw

Part of the Social Work Commons

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Waters, Michelle and Dressel, Paula (1985) "Verbal Strategies that Succeed when Job Performance Fails or How to Eschew Social Work through Convincing Conversation (A Pocket Guide for the Weary)," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 12 : Iss. 2 , Article 10. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol12/iss2/10

This Article is brought to you by the Western Michigan University School of Social Work. For more information, please contact wmu-scholarworks@wmich.edu.

VERBAL STRATEGIES THAT SUCC FEDWHEN JOB PERFOR4ANCE FAILS

orHOW TO ESCHEW SOCIAL WORK

THROUGH CONVINCING CONVERSATION(A Pocket Guide for the Weary)

Michelle WatersPaula Dressel

Georgia State University

The seemingly endless parade of literatureon burnout among social service workers is thesource of inspiration for this pocket guide.With the creative tailoring of some of thefollowing vignettes to local situations, it willbe almost impossible ;or you, the service worker,to achieve burn-out.3 Daily interactions withyour clients and your co-workers can beaccomplished with the greatest of ease, andservices delivered with no muss or fuss. If thesituation demands it, perhaps you can avoidclients altogether. With current retrenchment insocial services, you have been asked repeatedlyto do more for your clients and your agency withless and less resources. Here, instead, is a wayyou can do more for yourself without even havingto secure outside funding.

The first part of the pocket guide outlinessix handy ways that you can maneuver worksituations to your advantage and relief, simplyby opening your mouth. Part II describes somedifficult situations encountered by socialworkers and shows you how to prevail simply byemploying the verbal strategies outlined in PartI.

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Part I. SIX USEFUL VER3AL STRATEGIES

Talk is a useful, free, and abundantresource for mediating complex agency and clientsituations. The purpose of the talk outlinedhere is to align the social situation to youradvantage without having you look irresponsibleor selfish (Stokes and Hewitt, 1976); indeed, themost effective application of the followingstrategies can bolster others' perceptions of youthrough no additional effort of your own.

1. Account. Accounts help bridge the gapbetween what is expected and what actuallyhappens (Scott and Lyman, 1963). There are twotypes of accounts that can be employed: excusesand justifications. These differ with respect tothe issue of responsibility. An excuse deniesresponsibility, projecting it onto someone orsomething else (e.g., "I'm only following therules"). On the other hand, a justificationaccepts responsibility for actions but denies asense of wrongdoing; a justification may evenassert the positive aspects of the act (e.g.,"I'm sending you to another agency for your ownbenefit").

2. Last resort. Used alone or withaccounts, last resorts justify the implementationof extreme actions (e.g., "I'm hospitalizing youas a last resort; there's nothing more we can dofor you here under the circumstances"). Theyshould be grounded in the apparent failure orexhaustion of prior remedies and/or accompaniedby the anticipation that no other alternativesare available or that they are too costly(Emerson, 1981). This strategy is best usedwithin an atmosphere of crisis. (Note: If acrisis atmosphere is not already present, thenyou will have to create it yourself.) Invokinglast resorts is a risky matter, so only use themas a last resort.

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3. Quasi-theory. Some seeminglyoverwhelming problems can be simplified throughthe use of quasi-theories, or your owninterpretations of what's wrong (e.g., "If you'djust tell me the truth, this situation could beworked out"). You should employ this strategywith some restraint: banal constructions thatgeneralize the situation are most successful(Hewitt and Hall, 1973). Also, because yourquasi-theory sets terms within which problemsmight be solved, you may be held responsible ifprogress is not made in eliminating theproblem. So the fanciest mouthwork of this sortis that which locates the problem in otherpeople, not in yourself. (See Singer, 1978, onshifting the burden of responsibility to thevictim.)

So far we have shown you how to clean upsocial debris by reconstructing problemsituations once they've happened. Theaforementioned strategies require no precocity,no anticipation, no proactive posture. The twostrategies that follow enable you to repair asituation even before it has happened, defyingcl ients and co-workers to locate blame on one soprotected as you.

4. Disclaimer. Being ready with adisclaimer is like carrying a good luck charm.Under the spell of the disclaimer, others willhold their challenges in abeyance. The trick ofthe disclaimer is that it allows you to saysomething outrageous, absurd, uncharitable, oroffensive without appearing outrageous, absurd,uncharitable, or offensive (e.g., "I know thiswill disappoint you, but we will have to put youon the waiting list.") (Hewitt and Stokes,1975). Proper use of the disclaimer allows youto deal sharp blows through sleight of mouth.

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5. Self-mockery. By calling attention totheir own shortcomings, users of this strategydisarm others while simultaneously affirning therules they have broken. The introduction of suchhumor into the activity under consideration movesit from a serious to a non-serious framework. Ifdone correctly, self-mockery is likely to evokepositive sentiments among participants (e.g.,"I'm so stupid--I keep making the same mistake")(Ungar, 1984). Because self-mockery involves thealteration of your status, be sure before youemploy this strategy that your status is highenough to endure depreciation.

All of the above strategies require somemodicum of analytical effort to be employedappropriately. The final verbal weapon does notrequire much concentration and is al mostreflexive in nature. It is especiallyrecommended for use toward the end of the workday when needed relief from mental fatigueprecludes the task of choosing from among thepreceding social lubricants.

6. Refocusing of attention. You may havenoticed that the flow of most conversations, likeoing pong balls, shifts from one court to theother as participants refocus tal k uponthemselves (e.g., "If you think you've gotproblems, wait 'til I tell you about mine")(Derber, 1979). This strategy enables you todiminish the significance of others' concernseither by (a) talking about your own difficultiesor (b) shifting the entire topic of discussion tosomething you'd rather talk about. The successof this strategy is dependent upon the user'sproclivity for constant attention.

Now that you have these strategies in yourarsenal of social skills, let's see what they cando when the verbal trigger is pulled.

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Part II: Verbal Strategies at Work

Scenario #1

The Problem:

Your client is a widow with three smallchildren. She does not speak or read English.You learn through her gestures that she needshousing and food for her family. The exchangewith this client is consuming an inordinateamount of time, and two other clients are waitingto see you. Your supervisor interrupts yourmeeting with this client to complain that thewaiting clients are being noisy and disruptingother workers. The supervisor is burning up; youare burning out.

The Solution: Refer the present client toanothe agency that has an interpreter (account;species--justification; sub-species--claim ofbenefit). See the noisiest client next andexclaim that if she'd just calm down, the wait atthe welfare office wouldn't be nearly sounpleasant (quasi-theory). Upon dispensing withthis client, invite the remaining one into youroffice with the following statement: "You mustthink I'm terrible for making you wait so long"(disclaimer), "but there's only so much time inone day to do everything that needs to be done"(account; species--excuse; sub-species-- appealto natural laws).

Scenario #2

The Problem: You are the primary caseworkerfor almost 200 homebound clients whose physicalneeds are varied, immediate, and ongoing. M anyof the clients are lonely, so you try to devotesome time to their social-emotional needs as wellduring your home visits. Last week you wereasked by your supervisor to compile data for a

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funding proposal the agency is developing. Thedata still are not ready, and the proposal is duetomorrow. The supervisor is now asking for yourwork.

The Solution: This situation requires asalvo--f verbal artillery aimed directly towardany compassion the supervisor might have:"You're never going to believe this (disclaimer),but I still haven't had time (account; species--excuse; sub-species--appeal to natural laws) topull that material together for you. I've beenunder a lot of stress with my heavy caseload(refocusing of attention coupled with an account;species--excuse; sub-species--appeal to biology),and I just can't ignore those folks' needs(account; species--justification; sub-species--appeal to loyalty). If only we had morecaseworkers around here, there would be time forpaperwork (quasi-theory). I hate to do this(disclaimer), and I wouldn't under othercircumstances (last resort), but I wonder ifyou'd help me get that information together." Ofcourse, this solution doesn't absolve you of allof the work but it cuts in half the nasty job ofmaking numbers look meaningful whether they areor not.

Scenario #3

The Problem: You have not had a raise inthree years because of funding cutbacks forprograms and personnel. It is time for yourannual evaluation with the agency's executivedirector. You want her to know that you feel youdeserve to make more than $14,000 annually afterhaving obtained your MSW and having been with theagency for five years.

The Solution: Maneuver the conversation asfol lows:She: "You've been doing a fine job the past

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year, so I'd rather use this time to tellyou my plans for the year ahead."

You: "I would like to hear your plans, but firstI need to say something that's been ofconcern to me for some time now."(refocusing of attention)

She: "I'm aware that you show more concern thanmost other caseworkers. In fact, here'swhat I have in mind to encourage them to beas concerned as you... " (refocusing ofattention)

You: "But I'm particularly concerned aboutwhether I can remain in this job and sendmy daughter to college, too. I've inquiredabout loans, scholarships, and work-studyprograms, and I still won't have enoughmoney to pay her tuition for a full year.Unless I can get a raise, I'll have to lookfor another job." (refocusing ofattention; last resort)

She: "Well, we certainly don't want to loseyou. I've been so busy that I didn'trealize you were having so much troublefinancially." (refocusing of attention;account; species--excuse; sub-species--appeal to ignorance)

You: "I know I'm only an inconsequentialcaseworker in the whole organization, asmall fish in a big polluted ocean, buteven little fish need to eat and send theirbabies to school." (refocusing ofattention; self-mockery)

She: "To tell you the truth, I've been disturbedthat I'm unable to pay you more than Ido. Things like that keep my stress levelhigh. Maybe if we can elect a new governorthe agency will get more money."(disclaimer; refocusing of attention;quasi-theory)

You: (to yourself): "She's read this pocketguide, too."

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These three scenarios offer merely a glimpseof what is possible in the short-term throughcreative verbalization. Just as you rely on yourautonomic nervous system to respond to danger,so, too, can a well-honed, seemingly autonomicverbal system keep you out of trouble. If youare successful with these strategies over time,clients will begin to lower their expectations ofyou, organizational standards will recede, andyour job will become far less demanding than itcurrently is (see Singer, 1978).

The utility of any of the strategies can beoptimized with practice. Therefore we recommendtalking to yourself--soliloquy (Gass, 1984)--before talking to others. If you can't convinceyourself, it is unlikely that anyone else will beso moved, either. Next time you see co-workerstalking to themselves, realize that they, too,are learning to address for success. If you canimagine interactions with your clients, co-workers, and supervisors proceeding smooth asChinese porcelain, then you can envision what canbe achieved through convincing conversation. Sogive yourself a split second to be both actor andaudience; explore the itinerary of verbal actionbefore taking it. Hamlet did, and he madeShakespeare famous.

NOTES

1 Idea from Edelman (1977).2 The authors do not in fact condone thestrategies offered herein. One way of managingexasperating situations, however, is through theuse of humor. We empathize with the difficultiesinherent in doing social work in a reluctantwelfare state.3 See Dressel (1984) for direct quotationsfrom social service workers who employ verbalstrategies to counteract job stress.

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REFERENCES

Derber, Charles The Pursuit of Attention. NewYork: Oxford, 1979.

Dressel, Paula The Service Trap. Springfield,IL: Charles C Thomas, 1984.

Edelman, Murray Political Language: Words ThatSucceed and Policies That Fai. NewYork: Academic, 1977.

Emerson, Robert "On last resorts." AmericanJournal of Sociology 87(July, 1991):1-22.

Gass, William "The unspeakable state ofsoliloquy." Harpers (May, 1984):71-74.

Hewitt, John P., and eter M. Hall "Socialproblems, problematic situations, andquasi-theories." American SociologicalReview 39(June, 1973):7-74.

Hewitt, John, and Randall Stokes"Discl aimers." American SociologicalReview 40(February, 1975) :1-11.

Scott, Marvin, and Stanford M. Lyman"Accounts." American Sociological Review33(1968) :46-62.

Singer, 3enjamin D. "Assessing social errors."Social Policy 9(September/ October,1978):27-34.

1Stokes, Randall, and John Hewitt "Aligningactions." American Sociological Review41(October, 1T7T-9-949.

Ungar, Sheldon "Self-mockery: an alternativeform of self-presentation." SymbolicInteraction 7(Spring, 1984):121-133.

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