Image In A Time Of Cholera

Have you heard the theory "emotional contagion?" We can only be as happy as the people who live or work near us. Evidently, it doesn't matter if your best friend is Pollyana but she lives 1000 miles away...if your next-door neighbor is mood-disordered and perpetually angry, you're more likely to catch his mood.

Scary.

Luckily for me, the guy who sits in the next office is a cockeyed optimist. And no matter the news cycle, the guy sticks to his work, plans his vacations, takes his wife out to dinner and sports a startling array of smart-looking sweaters that he wears over crisp oxford shirts. Even his shoes are shined to perfection...wonderful.

Over a business lunch a colleague confided that she had caught herself complaining about work and the dearth of opportunities. She was shaken by her dispirited commentary. "What was going on?" she wondered. I mentioned "emotional contagion" and she brightened with relief. "You're right," she said, "I've been talking to too many people. I've got to get back to my work."

I urge my clients to vent and wail but not in public and certainly not in front of anyone with influence. No matter what is going on in your life or in your business, it's important to protect your image. The public's perception of you and your company has been achieved by a series of calculations. You cannot be cavalier about those calculations -- they served you well and will continue to serve you well in the future. But right now the air we're breathing is toxic, filled with anxious and dyspeptic ruminations.

I realize it's hard to escape the Cassandras (especially now) but we can out-smart them. Limit your phone calls or visits. Don't feel obliged to share their doomsday scenarios. And shine your shoes. I'm convinced it's one of those acts that will ward off the plague.