Power From Below

For many years, I've told the story of a business owner, "Mr. B," who, after getting a speeding ticket, got upset and chewed out his sales manager, who chewed out his secretary, who chewed out the switchboard operator, who went home and chewed out her 12-year-old son, who kicked the cat. I point out it would have been better had Mr. B gone directly from getting the ticket to the switchboard operator's home and kicked the cat himself.

The difficulty with owners or CEOs of companies becoming angry or frustrated is that they often proceed to take that frustration out on the executives directly under them, who then pass it on down the line. Unfortunately, each level of management influences an increasingly larger number of other people and, in the process, affects their productivity.

The irony is that power really comes from below. The people underneath you, performing at their peak, make you look good, and when you vent your frustrations on them, it affects their attitude, which affects their productivity, which affects profitability, and all of that makes you look bad.

Solution: Grow up, be mature, and understand that "honey catches more flies than vinegar." Don't let your anger and frustrations negatively impact the people around you. Make it a point when you are feeling angry or frustrated to take the action of doing absolutely nothing. Sit down, take a deep breath, pause for a moment, recognize that you are upset, and understand the old adage that "whom the gods would destroy they first anger." Ask yourself what long-range difference it makes, and then answer for yourself the next question: What can I do to turn my anger into a positive by doing something constructive instead of destructive?

One way to avoid frustration that results in "cat kicking" is to value and practice open, honest communication, which is a two-way street. Ask for and listen to feedback from those who do the job. Take these steps, and you might succeed!!