Ticking Bombs: Defusing Violence in the Workplace.

by Michael Mantell, Ph.D., with Steve Albrecht, Irwin Publishing, New York, New York, 1994.

When it comes to crime and violence, police officials take a certain amount of comfort in knowing that the private sector looks to them for research, management, and training. But when it comes to workplace violence, particularly by nonstrangers, law enforcement lags far behind the private sector in recognition, prevention, and management. Ticking Bombs: Defusing Workplace Violence provides an excellent overview of the subject.

The book thoroughly examines the problem and provides practical steps that law enforcement and private sector managers can use to prevent in-house violence and manage people and situations that are potentially violent. The author spent 10 years as the chief psychologist for the San Diego Police Department where he established one of the leading counseling and preemployment screening programs.

The book begins with an examination of the dynamics of the workplace, showing how virtually no organization remains immune to violence. In the chapter, "Toxic World, Toxic Workplace," the author examines the factors in society and the workplace that contribute to violence. Among those, the culture of the American workplace, where the customer is king, may contribute to employees' feelings of low self-worth, making them prone to violence.

In the chapter "Caution! Disgruntled Employee Ahead!," the author outlines the warning signs of dangerous employees. Because two of the indicators, being a male between age 30 and 40 and collecting guns or weapons, apply to a certain percentage of police officers, law enforcement supervisors would be well advised to learn the other 18 warning signs. Chapters on hiring and firing remind supervisors that like hiring, firing is a process, and firing someone the right way may avert disaster.

In "Protecting Your Assets: Human and Otherwise," the author emphasizes that managing human problems may prove more important than handling security equipment. That is, the best security system will not necessarily protect agencies from their worst employees. At the same time, managers should never underestimate the potential disruptive power of the "least influential employee." Speaking from experience, the author advises that a good employee assistance program often represents one of the best security measures that an institution can implement.

Although victims of workplace violence are often managers, management still must look at how it can improve its own performance. By following the author's "Golden Rule of Management," "treat your people as you would like to be treated," managers can diffuse potentially volatile situations. By contrast, managers who fail to live by this rule, whom the author calls "toxic supervisors," forget that "average pay and excellent working conditions are much preferred to great pay coupled with horrific working conditions. People want to enjoy their work, their coworkers, and their supervisors."

Ticking Bombs represents an invaluable resource for any manager. For law enforcement, it bridges criminology and principles of management, while helping administrators keep up with the advances that the private sector has made on this problem. The book also can help officers in the field deal with employee/employer cases, while it guides agencies as they attempt to handle their own problem employees. Armed with information from years of practical field experience, the author makes Ticking Bombs readable and easily applicable to any institution.

Reviewed by Lieutenant Stan Duncan Sarasota Police Department Sarasota, Florida