When I was at university, my sweetheart’s father worked at Phillip Morris USA. He was a good guy, and fairly senior in the corporation. We respected his business savvy. He used to say: “Kids, there’s no emotion in business.” Kinda funny coming from a guy with such a big heart.
Of course, I have found the exact opposite to be true. There’s abundant emotion in business. In some ways, that’s a good thing. It’s what makes working together fulfilling. It’s what makes sales people connect and build relationships. It’s what makes technical staff go above and beyond the call of duty for the client.
Sure, there’s plenty of times when we wish there was no emotion–especially when it involves foul play or wrongful acts. But we’re all human, so closing off our emotions when making ‘business decisions’ is impractical. Aren’t we better off learning to manage them well—handling each new emotion in a way that best serves us in the long run?
One such example: Two weeks ago I attended the AIA Chicago Annual Holiday Party. There were 300 people or so (I’m not great at counting, so no guarantee). Strangely, it was an emotional evening. I found myself feeling nostalgic, when I ran into people whom I once worked with side by side, so many years ago, at various firms in the City. I swelled up with pride when Nagle Hartray—an architectural firm I once worked for—won the AIA Chicago Firm of the Year Award. At the same time, I encountered feelings of loss, as I conversed with former colleagues about others who are no longer involved in our intimate design and construction community.
So what did I do with those emotions? I handled them the way I would handle emotions in my own personal life—taking comfort in the nostalgia; honoring the pride; and even going through mini-phases of mourning, including acceptance, the ultimate phase.
How will you make your emotions work best for you (professionally and personally) in 2010?