The Emotional Employee - Good and Bad

In today's work environment when so many people are just doing the minimum, it's refreshing to find people who are so involved that they get emotional about their work. Far too often people merely go through the motions. People who get emotional can be a treasure...

Lots of people need to read, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"...

But I think there are a good type of emotions and a bad type of emotions.

It is a curse of the corporate environment that involves far too much politicizing in the work place that often causes relations between co-workers to take priority and precedent over the success of the project. This is a bad situation that leads to the bad type of emotions at the work place.

While having dedicated people who do get emotionally attached to their work is great, it can also be a double edged sword when those emotions actually are obstructive and cause people to miss seeing the forest for the trees.

In my experience, actually and unfortunately, twice in the last year, I've seen grown Japanese men sob at business meetings when things didn't go the way they wanted. These were guys in their forties! 

First they folded their arms in front of their bodies. Then they pouted. Then they actually cried! 

I am a cold-hearted person and watched for a moment and allowed them to stop sobbing. I then remarked as if nothing unusual had occurred, "Are you finished?... Anyway..." And I continued with the business at hand. It would not be good to dwell on emotional outbursts or respond as that may lead to a sort of ping-pong effect and escalation which won't help anyone.

Being emotional about the job and the dedication to the success of the project is a wonderfully appreciated and oft rewarded trait... Becoming emotional about the people you work with is not.

The good type of emotions is a strong will towards the success of the project and doing whatever it takes to get the project done and successful for the company, no matter what. That's dedication. Those are good emotions. You don't need to like the people you work with to do great work. You just need to keep a professional attitude. 

I read where the world famous New York Yankees baseball team have often had teams whereby the members don't get along with each other. In fact, there are famous incidents where the team members have brawled with each other in the dugout! Nevertheless, the team that has won 27 of 40 World Series Championships.

Universities need to start courses that give MBAs in staying calm and cool....

The purpose of the exercise called "work" is to win, not make friends.

Emotional maturity is greatly under-rated in the corporate work environment. 

Keep focused on what your goals are, stay professional and remember what an advantage that can be. You are there to win and make money for your company and for yourself... Not make friends. If you do make friends, then that's icing on the cake.

Working with people you may not like yet still creating and doing great work is the height of professionalism and performance. It is the holy grail that all of us should strive for.

...Oh, and don't forget to smile!

It's Not Rocket Science: A Meeting Scheduled at One O'Clock Starts at One O'Clock! Not at Two Minutes Past One

Question: What is Lombardi time?

Answer: "Lombardi time became the principle that all successful people show up ten to fifteen minutes early. This shows that they have dedication to hard work and values." 

Empty wallet due to poor work habits?

Like the title of this post says, "A meeting scheduled at one o'clock starts at one o'clock! Not at two minutes past one"... or even one second past one o'clock. This is not rocket science. 


I can't believe though how incompetent people are about this.


I come from the mass media and television world. You remember when you'd see or hear the time tone on the TV or radio telling you that it is five o'clock? Guess what? That means exactly five o'clock. Not Five o-one. Not five seconds past five. Five o'clock exactly. 


Funny that.


Being from the mass media and television world, you can guess that if my TV or radio show starts at six pm and I'm not there at six pm... Then I'm not only late, I'm out of a job. One second late for a live broadcast on TV or radio and you are gone. Fired. Kaput. Goodbye!


There's a million and one people who will eagerly replace you in a minute. That's the way it is. 


Time is important. Time is money. Don't waste your time. Don't waste my time.


I am often frustrated to death with just how incompetent, useless and inconsiderate people are... That there are people who are doing poorly in their business because of their awful work habits and also their undependability (especially when it comes to time) doesn't surprise me at all. That there are so many of them does surprise me.


The very successful people I know are always on time (early, in fact) and they always do what they say they are going to do and they do it usually better than promised.


That's why they are successful. 


The unsuccessful ones always have an excuse, never surprise with quality work and are always late. They are the ones who think "meeting at one o'clock" means it's okay to be five minutes late. 


It's not okay.


I wrote about one person whose incredible incompetence can only lead someone who reads the article to shake their head in disbelief and agreement. Many have written to me and said; "Yes. I can see where that person's business isn't successful." Please refer to Earn a Bad Reputation Disrespecting Artists and Their Work.


But yesterday I met another person who wasted my time. He had asked me to help him with a project. I gave him thirty minutes. We arranged to meet at one o'clock at the train station. 


As usual, I showed up using Lombardi Time.


Did he show up at one o'clock? No. He was late by five minutes and didn't even say, "Sorry!"


Think about that. This person wants my help yet they are so incompetent that they can't even be on time! I guess they don't really need my help that much! 


I know that many people today are terrible at time management and are always late. Is there any surprise that the economy is so bad? Hasn't anyone considered that the probability of being late all the time equates with the number of poor people?


Will I put my reputation on the line to help this person who can't even be on time? No way.


I waited for them for five minutes... I should have left. When I heard the idea they wanted help with, I knew I was dealing with a rank amateur who had no idea what they were talking about.


Figured. Can't tell time or keep appointments better than a high school student, who should expect them to act and think like a professional?


May I make an announcement to the world? 


If I ask you for a favor, if you are late, then I will wait for you for hours... That makes sense to me; I ask for the favor, then I must wait.


If you ask me for a favor, and you are my friend, then I will wait for you... (But I seriously doubt my friends wouldn't call me even if they were going to be a few minutes late.) 


You know what they say about birds of a feather and all that!


If you ask me for a favor, and I don't know you well, then if you are even one second late for the engagement with me, without notifying me, you have lost the job. I will fire you as I would a TV announcer who missed his live TV show by one second. I won't be there when you show up.


That's the way it is.


Some people will read this and think, "Rogers is an jerk for being so picky about someone being even one minute late." If so, fine. I don't want to work with you at all. I'll stick to my small group of professionals who don't do that to each other. Why should I waste time with amateurs that do that?


Ever wonder why they are amateur?


It's not rocket science.


One o'clock is one o'clock... Not one o'two....

The Value of Silence at Business Meetings - the Samurai Way

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt." - Unknown.


"Those who don't know say that they do. Those who do know say they don't." - Za Zen Buddhist saying




I often am reminded of how much some people like to hear their own voices at meetings. Not me. If I can, I want to go through meetings and be completely silent unless I am absolutely sure that I understand all facets of the problem(s) being discussed and there is something that is urgently pressing that I feel that I must say....


To be quite dramatic... It is like the way a samurai would do things... They'd shut up unless they have something important to say. In my case, I shut up because I don't want to sound stupid.


In Japan, even from long ago, it is said that the most intelligent people say little. A zen quote goes like this: "Those who say they know, don't. Those who do know, don't say."

Hopefully, against all odds, and in spite of myself, what I did have to say at a meeting, when I finally said it, would be relevant.

Otherwise, I want to be like samurai. 


According to ancient folklore, the samurai weren't big talkers. They didn't say too much.


Perhaps they kept their mouths shut because they already knew the score or perhaps they kept silent because they didn't fully comprehend the subject at hand. Or, perhaps they kept quiet because they knew that f they talked, they'd say something dumb. No matter what, it's always a good idea not to "show your hand."


Keeping your mouth shut and only speaking when absolutely necessary seems to me a good way to be.


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NOTE: Many regular readers have been asking for more great Japanese cinema. We haven't had any since the earthquake and tsunami, but here's some of the best scenes from Zatoichi a 1989 samurai film about a samurai who is blind. This is an awesome film. I will search for an English subtitled version and place it online if I can. Until then, enjoy!

SATOICHI