Boosters & DrainersWritten by Nan S. Russell
Like huge anchors on cruise ships, other people can hold you down. Not intentionally, but their negativity impacts you. It’s hard to be winning at working when you’re anchored in place. It’s hard to see next great idea and enthusiastically embrace it, when you’re feeling a sticky heaviness. And it’s hard to think creativity when you’re feeling empty.Like a balloon with air pouring out, deflated and flat at end, I hung up phone, drained. For most part I’d offered a supportive ear with occasional contributions of asked for advice. Several days in a row, he called or stopped by my office, with a second, and a third, and a fourth verse of same song. After each encounter, my energy felt zapped. It got to point where Jay’s presence alone started my energy leaving, replaced with an empty heaviness as if his negative energy was seeping into me. It took me awhile to figure it out, but Jay was an energy drainer. I’ve learned over years, if I spend too much time around people with negative energy to share, my optimism, and enthusiasm for work (or life) are adversely affected. You may know people in your own work life who hold you down, zap your enthusiasm, cheer you into self-destruction, and occupy so much of your time and energy that you can’t offer best you to anyone, including yourself. And you know people who do opposite.
| | Don't Be Dragged DownWritten by Arthur Cooper
In world of work – in office environment – you are judged not just by how good you are and what you do, but by how good and how effective those around you are.It is unfair maybe, unjust perhaps, but inevitable. If you are in a winning team you catch some of glory however small you own role has been. If you are in a losing team you are tarred with losers’ brush, no matter how excellent your own performance has been. Those outside confines of team inevitably see wider picture and not details. They inevitably judge each member of a team to some degree based on their perception of whole group. And for you as an individual, however good you are, if you are in a losing team this can be bad news. Bad news if person making judgement is your boss. Bad news if person making judgement is head of another department in which you would like to work. Bad news when time comes to select people for promotion. Bad news when bonuses are decided. You may be able to survive one failed project or one late delivery. You may be able to survive two. But more than that and you will be marked out as a loser. You won’t have anything good to show on your record. You won’t even be able to move. You will be stuck. As time goes on you will find yourself assigned to less important projects, to least critical jobs. You will never have a way out or a chance to shine and show your true worth.
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