Emotions and workplace

A very close friend of mine worked at a huge conglomerate for decades. They gave him the good news that he could choose to retire and get a severance package. He chose the package and left. He had put in years of work there but when he left he wasn't crying over it, he was unemotional.

Then he landed a job at a small entrepreneurial shop and for the first time in his life was engaged in his work. He was also stressed to the max trying to keep up with the pace and deal with the culture there, which was very unique. The owner was a charismatic, brilliant guy who had a ton of bravado.

Well, the unthinkable happened, my close friend was fired one day, out of the blue (as far as he was concerned). He was given no notice, no warning, just "pick up your personal belongings and leave now." Here's what's interesting to me:

He now hates that place with every fiber of his soul--the very place where he was totally engaged, where he felt he was making a difference for the first time in his life.

In the case of losing a job or not being able to keep up, it's not the cold, mediocre companies that we hate, it's the one in which we felt most important, where our heart was most engaged, that's the one we despise.

And to be accurate, I believe that the charismatic leader of that company probably didn't know the full extent of the situation, he was probably played by a few people that wanted my buddy out of there.

No matter, the more personal and unique your culture, the more likely the emotions, both good and bad.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
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