The High Cost Of Worry

Do you consider yourself a professional?  There are many possible definitions of this one word as it applies to the workplace.  Just what is a professional?  Some jobs are considered professional because of the length of time and years of education required to work in the field.  Physician.  Lawyers.  Engineers.  They have professional certifications, licenses, and have to pass rigorous exams or standards to earn and maintain the title.

Some actions or behaviors are considered professional; others are not.  For women (or men for that matter), crying at work is considered unprofessional.  So is losing your temper, swearing or becoming angry and emotional.  Taking credit for another’s person’s work, falsifying your wage records or drinking on the job are not only unprofessional, they are policy violations that can get you fired. 

One behavior considered unprofessional, especially for women, is worrying.  A subject of a study by the CDR Assessment Group showed excessive worrying and the affect it has on a person’s work and decision-making ability can sabotage a career.

What good is a leader who is always second guessing herself?  In tough times, the team needs someone at the top with confidence in herself and the ability to lead the team.  It’s only human, and somewhat healthy to count the costs of a decision.  But constant hand-wringing brings everyone down.

Worrying is different from cautious evaluation.  Worrying admits defeat.  When you begin to worry, you’re focused on a negative outcome instead of a positive result.  Others see you as weak and defeated.  Those are the people who are put at the back of the line instead of out front, waving the banner, rallying the troops to move forward.

Worriers bring everybody else down.  There may be a lot of reasons why a customer or client should be wary of purchasing your product or changing their operating systems or developing a new product or discontinuing a winner.  A worrier will spend more time in a client meeting focusing on what could go wrong than all the reasons why making a change is a good decision.  Leaders are realistic, focusing on rewards for themselves, the company and the client.  They instill confidence in others who are also involved in the decision-making. 

Women professionals who are worriers come off, well, like women.  Like it or not, women still bump up against the glass-ceiling that was supposedly shattered back in the 80’s and 90’s.  Only 4.2 percent of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are women.  The study showed men are more often categorized as risk-takers and rule-breakers, while women are anxious and unsure of themselves.  Worrying about family, children, the home is a regarded as typical female characteristic.  Women are their own worst enemies when they succumb to excessive worry in the workplace. 

Caution is a good characteristic.  Counting the costs, playing devils’ advocate before making a major decision is productive.  But there comes a time to move forward with confidence.  Having a “Plan B” is also a good idea.  Leaders always have more than one option. 

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