Part 9 (2/2)

The first thing to do is to make the clients experience your starting point. The idea is always to support whatever the client believes. It is his or her reality, after all, regardless of how the rest of the world sees it. Clients often feel insecure, so we dont move on until weve understood how they perceive what has happened.

She leans forward from her seat on the sofa. It strikes Malene that theres something unfeminine about her, despite her large dark eyes.

Grith turns to Malene. Anyway, why dont you tell me about your problem?

I dont have one! Were here because one of our colleagues has a problem.

Okay. How do you see her problem?

But, look, even before we sat down we told you Malene stops and starts again, trying to adopt the slightly learned tone that Grith and Iben seem to a.s.sume when theyre together.

Anne-Lise gives me the impression of being terribly angry. She might have sent us threatening e-mails.

Malene pauses to pick a piece of dried mango from a bowl of tropical mix. Iben, youve got to help me with this.

Grith, I told you.

Sure, but I need to get a sense of the situation. Try to describe why this woman is feeling so angry.

Malene wont say anything. Instead she catches Griths eye and then Ibens.

It doesnt take long before Iben speaks up. Anne-Lise believes that being colleagues means being friends. And because we dont treat her as a close friend, she has jumped to the conclusion that we are all bad people and that were bullying her.

Youre giving me the view from the outside. Cant you?

Iben wont let Grith interrupt her and runs on: Being viewed in this way is incredibly unpleasant for all of us. Her hostility is palpable even if she never sent the e-mails.

Iben, lets stay with her perception of being shut out from a community. Now thats a very unpleasant feeling too.

We cant think how to make her understand that were just following the ordinary rules of the workplace and that no one is persecuting her or anything.

And remember, feeling excluded is awful. Being cast as the outsider would make anyone angry.

Sure, but What if we choose to believe her perception? Some part of her story is probably true. When does she feel angry, do you think? Any particular time, or times?

She mightve been angry last night, when the e-mails were sent. But listen, no one is trying to exclude her.

Griths voice, always calm, grows even slower and deeper. Hold on, lets stay with her for a while. Last night, you said. Did anything special take place in the office yesterday?

We had quite a nice day together. Chatted a great deal. I remember talking about that journalist, the woman who wouldnt stop asking me about how we were fed in Africa. Later in the afternoon we listened to Chris and the Chocolate Factory. She looks at Malene. It was fun, wasnt it?

Yes, it was.

Griths large eyes are fixed on Iben. And as far as you know, no one in the office has been hard on this woman?

People have been irritated with her, but thats normal. We all have our ups and downs, but theres certainly nothing unusual about that?

Not at all. Quite normal.

So, she might misinterpret mood swings that the rest of us think nothing of, if shes another personality type. Its the kind of thing I thought we might talk about.

Grith leans back, stretching one arm out on the back of the sofa. Her flexibility makes her thin, elongated limb seem to flow along the cus.h.i.+on.

Iben, youve never seen anyone have a go at this woman?

I cant think of anything. We try to be helpful and kind. Dont we, Malene?

Yes, we do.

Iben is quiet for a moment. Still, its difficult to know what goes on inside her head because she withdraws into her sh.e.l.l a lot. She can seem quite odd. Thats what we wanted to talk to you about Grith uses both hands to lift the mug of tea to her lips, the way Malene sometimes needs to do. Not that Grith has arthritis, of course. She listens and blows on her drink before interrupting Iben.

You said that the door to her workplace is always closed?

Yes, Camilla likes the library door to be closed, to keep out drafts. Its debatable And we do debate it, Malene points out.

True. But Camilla has worked in that office longer than she has. And that door has always been shut. Its a bit much.

Grith asks more questions, especially about Camilla. Would she hara.s.s Anne-Lise when the others are out of earshot?

Its still Iben who fields the questions. She wouldnt Look, Camilla is okay, isnt she?

Ibens question puts a stop to Malenes discreet finger-exercise session. Its the time in the evening when she usually ma.s.sages her knuckles.

She nods. Yes. Camilla is easy to work with.

Grith pushes a fine strand of hair away from her cheek.

It could be just a little thing, she says. You two might not notice. Youre committed to creating a good working atmosphere for the whole office, and thats great. You talk with this woman and invite her to join your group, even though youre not that keen about her. What do other people do? Someone in your office is giving her a hard time. And if you dont demonstratively take her side, she might well feel that youre all bullies. Thats enough to make anyone unhappy and very angry Iben tries to interrupt, but Grith continues. It explains why shes reserved and insecure in your company. Its quite understandable.

Grith, its not Try to see things her way and the pieces fall into place. Dont ignore her angle.

Iben has been so eager to get in a word that she has to draw a breath. She says quickly, Grith, listen. Apart from the head of the Center and hes almost always out there are no other people. Just Camilla and us!

Is that so?

Malene leans forward to get a little closer to Iben. She looks at Grith.

Grith, only us. You see? No one is hara.s.sing her.

By now Griths measured approach has become even more deliberate. Is that so? I a.s.sumed there were more that there was a large staff.

There isnt. Were it.

Silence. Griths eyes flit around the room, scanning the bookshelf, the bare walls, the small table with the telephone, the dining table made from heavy wooden beams.

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