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The Tragedy in the Workplace: The Longest Running Show in the Country

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To write her ground breaking book, Tragedy In The Workplace: The Longest Running Show In The Country, Danna Beal draws upon her more than twenty years as a professional business consultant and trainer working in all kinds of industries to create a new model for understanding how the modern workforce is besieged with envy, fear, battling egos, power competitions, office politics, cliques and power struggles, personal agendas, dishonesty, managers disempowering employees, co-workers sabotaging one another, as well as the general and pervasive atmosphere of insecurity in today's workplace. Using theatrical metaphors, Beal shows readers how they can cast others in roles to play out their own workplace dramas and by doing so, come to grips with workplace problems, issues, and personalities in order to minimize anxiety, resolve disputes, increase job satisfaction levels, and enhance productivity and the corporate bottom line. Tragedy In The Workplace is very highly and invaluable reading especially recommended to business owners, managers, personnel directors, and anyone caught up in the age old games of office politics.

and you can clearly get her message that runs through- out the book.What I found most helpful was she defines the ambiguous game playing and ego roles that go on in a work enviroment. You can by reading this book get a birds eye view of this -process- and build your confidence knowing these people are trapped in roles they may not even be aware of but with this book you have insight and awareness to rise above it and see your own ego at work-this book is freedom.Rather than feel slighted next time by a co-worker keep in mind this person is trying to live up to some primetime expectation-and its your job to help them live it because corporate culture is full of these hopeless gyrating pychopaths-my opinion-but on a kinder note once -u-instill this authors advise into yourself your human essence of compassion will transfer nonvebally-real confidence-to your co-worker and they will begin to relate to you from the same level.Although big ego's can be intertaining they often follow unconcious and unreal ambitions blindly-only to end up as lonely lost souls on death beds chasing desperate gods and expiring in teriffied last gasps.My advise is find a talent and to discover that you need to know who you are and that takes looking at yourself from a dynamic perspective because what you are looking for you will never see but only glimpse.Once your remove your status expectations about your primetimed self your talent will surface and lead you to prosperity. Good luck my friend.

The insightful analogy of the theatre is so adaptable to the workplace "stage". It illuminates the ongoing power struggles while leading to a way out of the disfunction in the workplace. It addresses a critical problem in our businesses today. Very original and unique on how to unravel the innner twined egos in the workplace. A "must" read for everyone who interacts in the business world.

Interesting work.
. Beal provides many examples of the "Tragedy" that continues disruptively and dissatisfyingly in our workplaces. Her examples serve the useful purpose of helping us feel more immediate urgency for taking personal action and making needed changes in our workplaces.
. Perhaps because of my own biases toward positive psychology and organizational energy I feel Beal's presentation may be more balanced toward the presented problems rather than the potential for fulfilling solutions. Or perhaps, because in the past I've let myself feel like the helpless victim in my `tragedies' when I could have/should have taken more personal responsibility for authoring our collaborative situations.
. There are many companies, often the smaller and more entrepreneurial rather than the larger and more institutionalized, that integrate staving-off the `Tragedy' as part of their competitive and cultural strategies. Similarly, there are personal and professional development programs that encourage participants taking personal responsibility for creating to their `non Tragedy' situations and cultures--perhaps Beal, herself, leads such programs.
. As we grow from dependent children depending on our parents for taking care of us to independent and interdependent adults authoring our own futures, we must similarly (a) grow from depending on our companies for `parenting us" and (b) grow to collaborating (and leading) in our companies for developing healthy work communities. And, it was about these personal and professional transformations that I was hoping Beal would write.

Danna Beal explores issues close to anyone's heart who is of working age and is working! Ms. Beal, who spends much of her time traveling the country talking to professional groups as well as doing work with companies, asserts that each of us have an essence of who we are, hidden underneath the protective layer of our ego. This essence is fundamentally protected by the ego, but that which protects it actually suppresses it. We are then, ego driven, forced to play our role at work. This role requires that we are the star of the show and feel powerful by doing things like gossiping or not taking responsibility for our actions.
What's the answer? Find your role, as ego, mine is Rocky! (Always almost producing the result, looking good in the process, with a big heart, getting screwed by the man! Should have won, really!) Once you recognize your role and the part your ego plays in the production of work you can move beyond it and allow you natural talent and joy take over.
Tired of that feeling on Sunday of dread about going back to work? READ THIS BOOK.

In a world starved for heart-centered, spirit-reviving insights, Danna Beal takes center stage with her book that spotlights leadership problems and offers practical, workable solutions. Her corporate background helped to flesh out the "actors", so identifiable on our own stages of life. As a Licensed Massage Therapist for over 12 years, I see and touch the "fallout" from the workplace daily and, am delighted to point my clients in the direction of this compelling book.

Wherever one turns within the workplace today, upon the faces of the workers one can recognize pain, stress and suffering. Ms. Beal has pulled the curtain back, exposing this false drama. For those whose heart desires a new, clearer understanding of the drama, and an avenue for escape, the "Tradgedy in the Workplace" is highly recommended.

I had the opportunity of reading The Tragedy In The Workplace, by Danna Beal during the Thanksgiving Holiday period. Reading it gave me another reason to be grateful. I found it to be full of truths which can be discovered in various venues by thoughtful people who are willing and able to listen to their inner voice. Although "Tragedy" is billed as a business book, I found it to be of a profoundly spiritual nature, which would help anyone with relationships of all kinds, e.i., business, family, and personal. In particular, I enjoyed the uplifting nature of the book, wherein the author took the high ground when it came to discussing sensitive issues, and no vulgarity or unseemly discussions were utilized, but at the same time anyone should have been able to relate the principles taught to their own situations, of whatever nature. In other words, Danna communicated well without resorting to the lowest common denominator, as is prevalent in much of today's writings. I was specifically impressed with the teachings of principles regarding: Synergism to achieve worthwhile goals, Focus on our spiritual cores which have unlimited potential, Accepting personal responsibility for results, How to break out of self-imposed prisons, Recognizing the spiritual nature of our fellow beings, An excellent treatment of the power of forgiveness - both for yourself and others, and The problems associated with judging. Reading Danna's book, reminded me of a phrase I have been using for years: "There are no rewards and no punishments, only consequences." Like this thoughtful book, it is apparent that its author, Danna Beal is a winner.

Sincerely, Laurence H. Keim