A Pain in the Neck

Those who read this blog regularly know I sometimes struggle with back and neck pain. The trauma of a barn roof fall in the mid-1970’s is now haunting me as I grow older. Usually my response to the symptoms when they appear is to stubbornly resist a visit to the doctor, pop a few pain killers, and live with the discomfort until the ache fades a few days later. This time I was forced to take a different approach and therein lies a lesson or two.

It is twelve days and counting since I woke with a sore muscle just below my neck. The initial symptoms presented as tension or stress related so I followed my usual prescription for treatment and expected things to get better soon. No such luck! The next day a stabbing sensation in my spinal cord had replaced the initial pain and by the weekend I was experiencing numbness in the fingers of my left hand. It was time to seek some medical advice.

Acting on the recommendations of several friends I called the office of Dr. Dave, a local chiropractor whom they described as the only person that could alleviate their own neck and back pain. Later that day I received my first of several treatments to correct a number of anomalies in my spinal column revealed by the X-rays he took during that initial visit. While his adjustments have improved my condition it looks like I may be dealing with some level of discomfort for at least a few more days.

So why write about all this in a venue known for leadership advice and conversation? To begin with, many of today’s workplaces are struggling with the pain of poor management and stressful relationships. Like my neck pain, these conditions are only symptoms of more systemic problems. Left undiagnosed and untreated these issues will eventually work their way to the surface where they can soon debilitate the team’s ability to function effectively. Ignoring reality won’t heal the hurts or treat the root causes.

Leaders may need assistance from outside resources to diagnose the places where stressors are present and offer advice on possible treatment options. As Dr. Dave began the process of training my nerves and spinal components to work together normally the pain seemed to increase or move to other locations. It was discouraging not to sense immediate and lasting relief. Your team may need to face their differences, acknowledge unmet needs, and confess repressed feelings in order to change their abnormal patterns of behavior. It will require courage and trust to engage in this process and that will likely be painful.

We sometimes underestimate the discipline and hard work that creates a healthy workplace environment and fosters productive teams. While I’m not exactly enjoying my trips to visit Dr. Dave, I know a treatment plan and my willingness to stick with it will keep the pain in my neck from reoccurring. Swallowing pills and enduring the ache only masks the untreated root causes. Leaders may also prefer to simply treat the symptoms but, if they do, that occasional “neck pain” may eventually become a chronic, devastating problem that will cripple the organization or affected team.

What problems are you denying? Where is your team experiencing pain or stress? Is there a Dr. Dave you could call for help? Might the real “pain in the neck” be you? Ouch, that hurt didn’t it?