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How Your Negative Emotions Ruin Your Productivity
When the elderly sales manager of ABC Autos retired, car sales dropped in half. The salespeople were making less money. Pete, the new sales manager, was yelling at the salespeople to do better, but with no improvement. The company owner, Mr. Christopher, was getting desperate.
Mr. Christopher sat down with the sales manager and said, "Pete, you've got to quit yelling at the salespeople. Our old sales manager never yelled. Please give it a try."
Pete said, "Where I come from, if you don't yell, you don't get sales. Fire me if you want, but I'm gonna yell."
Mr. Christopher said, "Okay, I don't care what you do, just get the sales numbers back up this week."
So Pete held a sales meeting and screamed, "IF YOU DON'T MAKE AT LEAST ONE SALE THIS WEEK, YOU ARE FIRED!"
The sales staff ran out and started calling people on the phone. "You HAVE to call me!" "I know you it's been six months since you were here, but I need to see you. "Your old car is dangerous; you must come in NOW!"
A couple walked in to browse. Four salespeople charged at them. The first one actually ran to beat the others and said, "HI THERE! How can I help you! Let me show you around!"
The couple jumped back, mumbled "No thanks" and headed for the door. Another salesperson was blocking the doorway. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
The couple fought their way out the door and the salespeople went back to their telephones. Mr. Christopher, who was watching, shook his head.
Emotional Reactions
When things don't go your way, how do you react?
Some people get more emotional, more reactive. They get frustrated, sad, angry or worse. They react without thinking.
Unfortunately, this can make a short-term improvement. This is why bosses will threaten, scream and pound. They don't realize FORCED productivity is slavery and always backfires. Long-term improvements require another approach.
When a work environment is tense and emotional, pay also drops. Good people look for other jobs. No one is happy.
In 1971, L. Ron Hubbard wrote: "THE PRIMARY BARRIER TO PRODUCTION IS HUMAN EMOTION AND REACTION."
Careers, jobs and businesses fail when emotional reactions take over.
Mr. Christopher Hires a New Manager
Of course, sales at ABC Autos went from bad to worse and Pete was fired. The owner, Mr. Christopher, decided to run the sales people himself.
First, he held a sales meeting with gourmet pizza. They celebrated Pete's departure.
Next, he went over the facts about the cars and the kindest, most intelligent ways to sell cars. The emotional outbursts and reactive behavior were gone.
By the end of the week, sales increased and continued to increase each week.
Sixty Examples of Human Emotions and Reactions That Can Hurt Your Productivity
Reaching your goals and succeeding as never before means you need high-level performance. You must be capable of high-volume work. The road to success does not include negative emotional reactions.
You must remove, control or ignore the following types of emotions and reactions to improve your personal power and performance. They are wrecking your forward progress.
Whining, snippy comments, avoidance, the silent treatment, revenge, disrespect, acting up, resentment, moaning, sulking, death wishes, blaming, fear, mocking someone, hate, getting upset, yelling, lump-in-throat sadness, emotional pain, complaining, being grouchy, mood swings, hostility, false sincerity, making someone wrong, political games, jealousy, preaching, overwhelming someone, anxiety, sarcasm, despair, harassment, pretending to be hurt, disagreeing without thinking, giving sympathy, demanding sympathy, getting even, antagonism, terror, being critical, belligerence, exasperation, acting stupid, regret, pity, gossiping, feeling useless, apathy, anger, lying, hopelessness, being stressed out, crying, confusion, sighing, being glum, hysteria, being a victim and cutting off communication.
Five Examples
1. Office Politics
Office games waste time and slow down career success. "Jack took credit for my project so I'm going to crash his computer. " "Sue didn't invite me to lunch so I'll tell the boss she is lazy." "If I can make Wendell look bad, he'll get fired and I'll get that corner office."
2. Marriages
Couples become miserable when their negative emotions and reactions pop up. "He became so cold and heartless, I didn't want him to touch me." "She didn't notice my work in the backyard so I decided to spend more time drinking with my friends." "We haven't really talked for two years."
3. Children
"Clean up your room or I'm locking you in it." "He yells at me every time I talk about my boyfriend, so I'll just sleep with him." "I hate you!"
4. Management
Executives are praised or demoted to a large degree by how well they handle their emotions and reactions.
For example, employees lose confidence when the boss says, "I didn't like how you looked at me this morning" or "I'm really depressed right now."
Employee performance suffers when bosses say, "You're such a stupid idiot!" or "Once again you have ruined my day."
5. Self
When you decide to have negative emotions or reactions, you hurt yourself the most. "I'm too upset to work any longer today." "I'll be just secretive about what I'm really doing as he scares me." "If I look really depressed, she'll feel sorry for me and give me a raise."
To succeed, you must shake off the emotional reactions, get focused, be honest and get working.
Recommendations
If your negative emotions are too strong for you to handle, set a goal to improve yourself. Use one or more of these recommendations:
1. Lighten up. Stop taking yourself so seriously. Read "Being Too Serious Can Drive You Crazy" at www.tipsforsuccess.org/seriousness.htm.
2. Set goals you can get excited about. Focus on your goals whenever you feel negative emotions. Read "How to Set Goals You Can Get Excited About" at www.tipsforsuccess.org/goals-link.htm.
3. Be stronger using the recommendations outlined in "How to Generate Personal Power and Command of Life" at www.tipsforsuccess.org/personal-power.htm.
4. Take better control of yourself. Use the free coaching tools at www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org.
5. Improve your mental health. Buy and read the book Self Analysis. Available at www.tipsforsuccess.org/self-analysis.htm.
Copyright © 2007 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here. To subscribe, buy books, contact us or learn more about TipsForSuccess.org, click here. |
