Keep calm

Every now and then – and more often for some people – we get frustrated at work.

Frustration is inevitable for anyone who cares deeply about the work they do. That frustration often manifests itself in negative ways. We can be disrespectful to others, we can become disengaged, or, in the worst cases, we can sabotage our own organization.

We often react this way despite the fact that we are healthy and that our basic needs for food/shelter/clothing are met aplenty. We lose perspective on what really matters. We lose perspective because we are told that our work makes the world a better place, that we must do more less, that we must do it flawlessly – because if we don’t, something terrible will happen (i.e. the world will not be a better place and our stock price will go down).

We don’t get this type of pressure at home or with friends.

It’s OK to get frustrated. And we should care about our work. But our response to frustration should be to pause, count our blessings, and decide to do the right thing.

Because employees who perform with trust, respect, and integrity have a much better shot at making the world a better place.