When working with groups of people it sometimes seems like the group is complete chaos. Knowing more about Obstruction Tactics can help manage activities in a more orderly way. Becoming familiar with these tactics can help a change agent maintain objectivity and remain on task. Here is a summary of some problematic behaviors.
Definition: Interaction with others that support anti-social thinking and behavior. These responses help people to maintain a perspective that they would be just fine if everyone would just leave them to their own devices. Obstruction tactics build and maintain a sense of empowerment (or superiority). They are based in a network of thinking errors that build and maintain a sense of “rightness”. They are usually habitual and automatic responses to anything viewed as an intrusion into private matters.
Attacks– To put others on the defensive
- Points out the “fault” of others
- Builds self up by putting others down
- Makes a big scene about minor points
- Degrading, quibbling, trying to embarrass and/or using anger as a weapon.
- Accuses others of misunderstanding.
Lies– To manipulate subject matters and focus
- Pretending to know something to impress others
- Lies by omission and/or distorting the truth and/or selective disclosure to benefit self
- Deliberate lies or omission of truth
- Minimizes
- Agrees or says “yes/no” without meaning it
- Claims to have changed by doing something right once
Diversion-To gain control and empowerment
- Diverts attention away from self by introducing irrelevant material
- Silence
- Pays attention only when it is self-satisfying
- Puts off obligation by saying, “I forgot.”
- Being inattentive