Featured
View Count: 2653
In every job I have ever had, I have been happy for the most part. When I was an attorney, for example, I liked many aspects of being an attorney. When I worked in the asphalt business, I loved many aspects of that business. Most people are able to find some level of enjoyment in every job that they do. What is interesting, though, is that in every job I ever had, there were always people around me who were more than happy to stop by my office and go out to lunch with me, just to give me the news that my job really sucked–regardless of what I might think of the job.
One after another, people would stop by my office, take me out to lunch, come up to me at parties and, in general, give me one news flash or another about how awful the place where I was working was. The fact was that when this first started occurring I actually really liked where I was working.
However, regardless of how I felt, there were commentators around me who would always appear and find a tremendous amount of fault in my job for me. This is something that happened in every single job I ever had. I would also watch these “sympathizers” approach other new coworkers at the firms, and change them from happy, enthusiastic and bubbling puppies into dour faced, angry and resentful people–in a short period of time.
What kind of “sympathy” makes someone who was formerly happy become depressed?
What kind of “sympathy” makes someone resentful, or hate their job?
This sort of sympathy typically does not do anybody any good. The sympathizer is rarely a person who is effective in his own job, or in the world. If this person could do something about what he or she argues is a negative situation, the person would. You may notice that the sympathizer never helps you make the situation any better. Instead, the sympathizer makes you resent what you are doing and what you have. The only place the sympathizer is generally going to take you is to the unemployment line or, at best, another job–where you will undoubtedly encounter another sympathizer.
Since I started out as a young attorney I now know many people who are partners in major law firms who have had fantastic careers. These successful people never listened to the sympathizers when they stopped by their offices. They walked away, having other things to do, or they simply avoided the sympathizers completely. I now read the legal newspapers, Wall Street Journal and other publications, and I see these attorneys who “walked away” mentioned regularly.
The sympathizers that I knew have had careers that mostly border on tragic. Despite having gone to good law schools and having had experiences with good firms, many have done things such as:
One attorney, after coming to the United States from Europe or Asia, burned through three jobs in three years and then ended up getting deported to his home country because no one would give him a job in the United States. Four years later I discovered on this person’s Facebook page that he is a waiter in Shanghai, who also repairs BMWs for a sports car dealership.
There is nothing wrong with doing any of these things, of course. But these examples are all far different from making well over a million dollars a year as an attorney, working for the top performing companies in the world, and having a high profile career for which one is highly sought after, and is regularly mentioned in the media.
My point is this: The sympathizers are generally lucky to be employed at all, whereas the people who “just walk away” from the sympathizers are by far the most sought out. Since we all rely on others for jobs, income and a sense of contribution, I believe that the person who can “just walk away” is the person who ultimately has the better career, and makes the most of his or her skills and talents.
Sympathy with your coworkers and others is the surest way to create problems. You tell people their job is crap, that they are mistreated and that the conditions are bad–and what do they do? They get angry and no longer like their job. They go to work each day feeling bad about their jobs and at themselves for having to be there.
Groups of workers may even try to “revolt” and “organize”, due to their newfound beliefs that the job place is extremely unfair. This is the history of communism, for example. Our entire world and many events within it have been influenced by one “worker revolt” after another against “unfair” working conditions, or unfair this or that. The results of these revolts are not always good.
Case in point, is Russia better off for having been under communism? Did communism work for Russia? Moreover, is the American auto industry, which has been dying away, better off in the long run due to the incredible demands it experienced under unions? Is having no job available better than having many jobs available?
Genuine, unselfish sympathy and unmotivated empathy are obviously of value in personal relationships; however, I am unsure if the type of “sympathy” discussed above is ever a good thing. I have an assistant in Las Vegas that has a friend who will not get a job because he makes more money on unemployment than he would make if he were working. He has gone out and applied for jobs and has even gotten them, but ultimately it makes no sense for him to keep these jobs. This does not make a lot of sense to me. So this fellow continues sitting around doing nothing, not being a part of society’s work force. Is this a good thing? I do not think it is. How much good does the “sympathy” of government unemployment payments do here?
When I used to live in the inner city of Detroit many women I knew of refused to get married because they would not be able to get welfare if they got married. Accordingly, many, many women decided they had no use for a man in the household. What did this do for the children? How do you think this made the local men feel? Did this mentality contribute to crime? How much good does the “sympathy” of government welfare payments do here?
Sympathy is something that can really hurt you. Society has rules and procedures, and if you follow these you will generally do very well and rise towards the top. If you sit around seeking sympathy and functioning on others’ sympathy, the opposite will happen: You will fall to the bottom.
Sympathy is something that often destroys morale. The man on unemployment who does not get a job because he makes more on unemployment has low morale. The woman on welfare who refuses to get married and is raising four children by three different husbands probably has low morale. The person who likes his job and suddenly changes his tune due to the insincere “sympathy” of coworkers who plant negative ideas about the pay scale, working conditions and so forth–has poor morale. The person who jumps between jobs and never really gets anywhere because each new employer is “just as bad as the one before” has poor morale.
I am not saying that there is no injustice in the world. There is. However, the people that have real skill in the world are the ones who have the ability to bring order to a situation and fix things. Companies and groups that have the best organization are typically the ones with the highest morale. If a company has good organization then the problems of having extremely low morale and other issues are less likely to become a problem. You should seek out companies and organizations that have the best organization. If you work for a company that is incredibly well organized you are more likely to do better than if you work in one that is not.
When you drive down any decent-sized street in America you are likely to see a McDonald’s, a Starbucks and a number of similar chain restaurants. What is the difference between these companies and your average company out there? Once a McDonald’s is put up in any town in the United States you never hear about the place closing down due to low morale or an inability to attract and retain workers. You do not hear news stories about poor morale in the Midtown Manhattan McDonald’s, or the Starbucks under the Golden Gate Bridge. These businesses just keep humming along, and very few of them fail. This is mostly because these companies and their staffs are incredibly well organized.
You know when you go into a Starbucks how the coffee is going to taste, how it is going to be served and so forth. The experience is predictable. The people working there also know how to do their jobs due to a myriad of training procedures they have undergone, and the feeling you get from the average Starbucks employees is not one of horrible morale or job-induced anger. Instead, it is generally a feeling of excitement and pleasure to be of service. The reason for this I believe is due to how well the company and its branches are organized.
Organizations that are well organized like your Starbucks, your McDonalds and your Wal-Marts, are usually also the most successful. They will be there with or without you. They keep going. The reason that poor morale is so difficult to infiltrate all the workers in these companies is because the processes and procedures of the companies are highly fine tuned and organized. If an employee is making trouble and not doing his job correctly, not showing up for work consistently, bad mouthing the boss, bad mouthing the company, not being productive with his time, taking unscheduled breaks and so forth, then the company will “eject” him very quickly, like a virus.
When I see a résumé of someone who has been at a variety of well organized employers in the space of a short period of time I generally know that this person is like a “virus”, who tends to get expelled from the well organized system quickly. Your best hotel chains, your best restaurants and your best companies all use very good organization to keep morale high and to keep the company productive. Efficient organizations build good morale. Poor organization leads to poor morale.
If a McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Disneyland or Starbucks were not extremely well organized then they would have a variety of serious problems with internal morale.
When I speak with people inside of law firms and companies who are extremely dissatisfied with their jobs, the one complaint I hear over and over again is how poorly organized the employer is. When people are promoted, demoted, or fired who should not be, and when one person has to do too much work, while others are not doing enough, such issues can all be greatly improved by concrete organizational procedures, which let people know where they stand inside the organization. Discomfort, insecurity and other issues creep in when people do not know exactly where they stand in an organization.
In almost every instance where there is extremely poor morale in an organization, beneath this you will find a chaotic lack of organization. People just do not understand how things work, where they fit in and what their responsibilities are. When people understand exactly what they are supposed to be doing and what is expected of them, morale increases.
In your career and life you have the following choices:
First, you can be the sort of person who goes around undermining organizations, people and so forth with “sympathy” about their lives and working conditions. You can tell people how sorry you are about whatever is expected of them and their lives. In this process you will hurt others and create problems.
Second, you can be the sort of person who is proactive and helps a company or group get organized and get procedures in place in order for morale to improve. You can be a champion for organization and in the process raise the morale of the company or organization you are part of. The better organized the company or group you are part of, the higher the morale will generally be. If you take this route, you will find that the people who resist your efforts are most likely the same people who like to find “sympathy” with everyone around them. People who go around giving sympathy are, most often, harmful people whose sense of power comes from grinding at the happiness and egos of those around them, and undermining organization.
You will generally be the happiest and most productive in the best organized groups. The best organized groups are also much harder for people to undermine. A group’s strength is generally related to its ability to be organized.
Pretty soon many of these so-called sympathetic workers may be out of a job. The company will simply close or go elsewhere, where the staff is more friendly and appreciative of the work.
THE LESSON
Sympathy destroys morale, and those who can walk away from sympathy often have better careers and make better use of their skills. Good organization is the most effective means of upholding high morale and productivity. Well-organized groups and companies are much harder for people to undermine, and their strength is directly linked to their organization.
About Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes is the Founder of BCG Attorney Search and a successful legal recruiter himself. Harrison is extremely committed to and passionate about the profession of legal placement. His firm BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys. BCG Attorney Search works with attorneys to dramatically improve their careers by leaving no stone unturned in a search and bringing out the very best in them. Harrison has placed the leaders of the nation’s top law firms, and countless associates who have gone on to lead the nation’s top law firms. There are very few firms Harrison has not made placements with. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placements attract millions of reads each year. He coaches and consults with law firms about how to dramatically improve their recruiting and retention efforts. His company LawCrossing has been ranked on the Inc. 500 twice. For more information, please visit Harrison Barnes’ bio.
About BCG Attorney Search
BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive that gets results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities that its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.
Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
Filed Under : Featured, How to Succeed
Tagged: apply for a job, attorney search, business competitors, career advice, economy period, job blog | a harrison barnes, job search, legal career, legal jobs, legal profession, market salary, new jobs
recent posts
Related Posts:
Fantastic site!!! You’ve done yourself proud.Hi I really thankful to you because you are simply greatI am very happy to post my comment in this blog.The system provides the operator with a simple elevation and windage solution through complete integration of external environment, operator, and gun system specifications, enabling small arms weapons operators to produce highly accurate long-range trajectories to any number of specified targets at extreme ranges.I gathered lot of information from this site.
Great article, as usual. But a word of caution: be careful about drawing analogies between these stories and complex historical events like the Russian Revolution.
You write “Case in point, is Russia better off for having been under communism? Did communism work for Russia?” I think the point is a lot more complex than you make it out to be. For consideration I point you to the history of the “New Economic Policy” period immediately following the Russian Revolution, during which agricultural production not only recovered to pre-war levels, but greatly exceeded them, and the USSR became the world’s largest producer of grain. This was due in no small part to the communists’ reform of the pre-revolutionary quasi-feudal land ownership system.
Let’s also consider the fact that:
(1) The USSR broke the back of the German Army in WWII, due in large part to its ability to match and even exceed the Germans in the production of the complex machinery of modern war, e.g. the “Sturmovik” ground attack aircraft, and the vaunted T-34 medium tank.
(2) About 40 years following the revolution, before which Russia was a backward, largely agrarian nation, the USSR was the first country to put a satellite into orbit, and to put a man into space.
(3) You and I both grew up in mortal fear of the fact that the USSR possessed the capability of annihilating most of life on earth in a thermonuclear holocaust.
Are these things good? Who knows? My point is that most of these accomplishments would not have happened if Russia had remained under the rule of the Tsars.
I like your articles, and almost always find them worth reading. Consider this to be constructive criticism — just be careful with the historical analogies. This one was probably only marginally necessary to the point you were making, and in my mind at least it was distracting.
The warm feeling I get when someone is thoughtful enough to say thank you for having been helped far outweighs the empty one I get when there’s no feedback at all.
Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you
I eventually got a 4 great job options to choose from, and I finalized on the most lucrative one. My dad was elated, my mom was emotional. After all those days, this was not expected. I definitely recommend Hound services for those who are seriously lurching in their career. There are many better avenues which one might not know, but thanks to Hound and Harrison Barnes, those secretive job listings are now in the open. Heartiest thanks to Hound….you certainly googled me a fantastic job!
The story touched me immensely because I could identify with it in many ways. I was an executive holding a techno-administrative position for most of my working life and I always worked hard to fulfill the dual responsibilities of my job. Although most of my colleagues were critical of my attitude towards work and financial compensations from the employers were inadequate, I was never discouraged. I did the best I could. I can honestly say that I derived genuine inner satisfaction from my work and it is a great reward in itself. By reading such genuine articles I feel vindicated. Thanks!
What the author says is absolutely true atleast in my case. I started my career in a small company that worked out of a residential accomodation.
When I started working, many people used to tell me, that for your educational background you desrve more than you earn. But when I asked these so-called advisers to help me in getting that job, they all drew blank.
So, my sincere advice is not to believe these so-called advisers or as the author puts it ‘sympathisers’.
I enjoy some features of this site but not all of them. The features that I do enjoy are the ability to find similar jobs to your search and the capability to email posted jobs to others such as friends. This has come in helpful plenty of times. There is also an option to have job alerts sent to your email for specific job descriptions that come available. While I appreciated the alerts, they were frequently not for the area I requested and the location the alert indicated.
This guy is pompous, but fun to read his posts. He really drives home the point that chasing the Joneses is the only way to financial and personal freedom and job satisfaction.
when i visit this site i read posts and i was an-joy. author is say true and i realy appreciate with the author for his nice feelings.its only way to help in finacial and jobs pleasure.
your thoughts are amazing and its my pleasure to visit site.
Nice post…I kinda relate to this so called “sympathizers”. I used to work at a government firm some years back and I enjoyed every moment of it. My friends used to tell me all those negative stuffs about my work but I told myself that I should never be affected by these kinds of opinions since I am happy and contented with my job.
will be coming back to read more…more power
The author says is absolutely true in my case. I started my career in a small company that worked out of a residential accomodation.
When I start my working, many people used to tell me, that for your educational background you deserve more than you earn.
So, my sincere advice is not to believe these so-called advisers or as the author puts it sympathesis.
your thoughts are amazing and its my pleasure to visit site.
Nice,it is an wonderful post.when i read the post ,i was an joy.The writer say absolutely right.Any one can gathered huge information from this post.Thanks
This is an excellent site for job search. I would rate it 10 out of 10. To all those job hunters I must say today is the time and age when there are opportunities but they are hard to find. Beginners are advised no to be too choosy as the Market and the Competition is really tough. Get the job that requires your skills, gain your experience you will definitely make the money in your next job and at that time you will have less efforts put in searching for one.
This is a good thing and I am sure you will agree however the only filters to narrow down the search is when the job was posted. They do have a refine button, but if you put in the type of you job you want, it brings in results from all over the world. This function only works to put in a particular area . It is worth checking this site out as it does have lots of results, however in terms of navigation and the time it will take you to find something worth while it may be better to give it a miss.
Thousands and thousands of jobs here. Fast search response. Clear and easy to use interface by using this job search. Search not only from job boards, but also directly from company websites. I use this site for my job search and I’m very happy with it. I rate 10!
You seems to have everything for everyone who’s looking for job hunting.
There are lots of unemployed builders and associated trades around at the moment. Last winter was very quiet and given the recession biting more here this summer I doubt that there will be much work in construction in the coming months. Don’t worry about this recession…By using this site, finding a correct job for job seeker and got some ideas through this like sites and its very useful for the job seekers…….
Very nice post . Very helpful site for those who are currently unemployed or seeking a job .This site seems to have everything for everyone who’s looking for job . I would rate it 10 out of 10. I definitely recommend Hound services for those who are seriously lurching in their career.
Very helpful site for those who are currently unemployed or seeking a job .This site seems to have everything for everyone who’s looking for job.Thousands and thousands of jobs here. Fast search response. Clear and easy to use interface by using this job search. Search not only from job boards, but also directly from company websites. I use this site for my job search and I’m very happy with it. I rate 10!
Its allows you to look for jobs by location, type, or company. And you can cross-reference the three with little effort. And you can post a resume and change it from time to time with little effort. This site seems to offer a bunch of the same jobs over and over again. I think that this job search sites should be a little more diligent about cleaning up its database on a regular basis. Good luck for all those who are job seekers.
When you are looking for a part of what you want to do is examine the various ways that you can figure out what you are looking for. When you want to become a process you want to think about the ways in which you are able to get the jobs of your dreams is transforming the careers and lives of thousands of people each week, each day, maybe people you know So let us go to work for you.
I thoroughly enjoy these posts. They are a great insight into how more biggoted and marrow-minded people think, usually from the old-fashioned professions like law and accountancy, and many of whom I regularly meet in business. I had always wondered about what went on in their minds, and I am increasingly happy that I am not one of them! Keep ’em coming, the insights are rather shocking, extremely culturally biassed and terribly old-fashioned but I still find them very valuable. Great blog.
If you are a job seeker with a specific industry interest, and its provides instant access to a comprehensive pool of listings based on your particular area of focus. There is no better job board in the world for executive professionals:This shows you jobs from every single employer career page, job website, association website, newspaper classified ad and recruiter site we can find in the world. Well, agencies and recruiters should be part of a comprehensive job search. The starting point is to be absolutely clear on the skills, assets and capabilities you bring to the job marketplace.
This job search is easy to use because all you have to do is using the search box. To make job search easier categories have been maintained based on keyword, location and technology the job seeker is looking for and does is to create a huge database of jobs, which come from different company career pages and job boards. Then, it categorizes the collected jobs data so that job seekers can easily locate a job which suits them.
Most job sites will require the person to fill some personal details. It is only after this has been completed that the newbie can upload the resume. The member also has the option to put a pic in the website so that recruiters will have an idea how the applicant looks like. There is another kind of job hunting site that could be very useful. This is called a blast resume wherein an attachment of the applicant’s application is sent randomly to various companies in the hopes of getting interviewed for a job.
This is a job search engine designed to make the process of finding a job on the Internet easier for the user. It maps the huge selection of job offerings available on the Internet in one extensive database by referencing job pages originating from company web sites, recruitment agency web sites and large specialist recruitment sites. Using a fast and straightforward interface, users can query this database saving them the trouble of going to each site individually.
This is a search engine for jobs that collects all jobs from various sources and websites. It saves you the trouble to visit each site individually. You get all jobs in just a single search. I think it’s a useful tool for job seekers. I like the look of the website and when I use it I feel like if I have a great power and that I am not loosing my time. Iam not sure that you get all the job listings available but you get tons of jobs.Job seekers should try this great tool. …
Hi! I just did a hub on job-hunting…. Speedy search, easily navigated interface, option of looking for jobs in several countries and languages. This is a great site, incredibly easy to navigate and lists a massive amount of job offers — impossible not to find at least a handful of jobs that interest you. I Well recommend this site. and this job site contain very useful information about jobs.
Great job search site! What I like the most is the mapping job feature. I did a job keyword search and it showed the results on map. It allowed me to zoom to state, county, or city level. This really help me to visualize where the jobs are. Another thing I like is the job agent. .but all i got about online job sites was sites asking for clarify our doubts and suggestions…. this kind of job websites are complicated to produce and need many different types of people to make the product complete.
nice article.
I found many difficulties in doing my job lately, but the approach you explained here is great.
I was given over work.
but now i enjoy the work given to me, and done by me.
now I’m more organized than before and more respected.
thanks to your approach.
I have always been a very disorganized person, but I never realized how detrimental it could be. Thanks for that.
I need to stop sympathizing with myself! Great advice, keep up the good work!
Among all of the job site and this site must unique and there is no ads are interrupting and we can find job freely and we can got lot of ideas about the nature of jobs. Through this Crossing technology this site connected with database of job pages originating from company web sites, recruitment agency web sites and large specialist recruitment sites. Using a fast and straightforward interface, users can query this database saving them the trouble of going to each site individually. Job seekers can search according to their category, location and experience from the database which they collected jobs from that feed.
This job search is easy to use because all you have to do is using the search box. To make job search easier categories have been maintained based on keyword, location and technology the job seeker is looking for and does is to create a huge database of jobs, which come from different company career pages and job boards. Then, it categorizes the collected jobs data so that job seekers can easily locate a job which suits them.
Harrison Barnes is a very famous adviser and aphilosopher in guiding people in terms of organizational matters. This article basically comprised of the issues related to sympathy, morale and the importance of being organized.I think all these qualities can be attained or maintained by our self will and wish. you need initiate your self to get those qualities in you. These three things are beneficial both in personal and professional lives.
The story is realy effective because I could identify with it in many ways. I was junior executive in my previous job. colleagues were critical of my attitude towards work and financial compensations from the employers were inadequate, I was never discouraged. I did the best I could. And today I reach the target which i dream.
Harrison Barnes is a very popular job adviser in the whole world and a adviser is guiding people in terms of organizational matters. This article basically comprised of the issues related to sympathy, morale and the importance of being organized.Job seekers can search according to their category, location and experience from the database which they collected jobs from that feed.
Great information! I have not much information before I read your article. I have visited first time here, but now I will come again and again to get something new from you.
This is a wonderful post. As I was reading this post, I could feel that the same cases that had and is happening in my work as well. Yea.. be it anywork and people are always there to give a negative opinion about it. One should not be carried away by this and also, one should not spread this disease.
I eventually got a 4 great job options to choose from, and I finalized on the most lucrative one. My dad was elated, my mom was emotional. After all those days, this was not expected. I definitely recommend Hound services for those who are seriously lurching in their career. There are many better avenues which one might not know, but thanks to Hound and Harrison Barnes, those secretive job listings are now in the open. Heartiest thanks to Hound….you certainly googled me a fantastic job!
Now-a-days to get job or search job is so difficult matter. Because the number of trusted job site is so rear. But I have got a lot of jobs from the following site. As a result I think this is a more suitable site for job seekers and suggest them to visit this site for jobs.
aharrisonbarnes.com is a world famous rich job site where all kinds of jobs available and it is exceptional than other site because of its resource and proper services. This site has some positive feature such as it maintains a strong security about the profile of its members. I personally very satisfied about this site for its helpful and dedicated service. It is an amazing place to search for jobs and careers stress free.
Now-a-days to get job or search job is so difficult matter. Because the number of trusted job site is so rear. But I have got a lot of jobs from the following site. As a result I think this is a more suitable site for job seekers and suggest them to visit this site for jobs.
From this article I found that people can get success through taking a right career and it needs a expert guidance. pls see legal consultants,writers.To know more pls visit http://www.ConsultingCrossing.com
I have read your article and it is a valid comment. I have had this occur with an associate of mine. It is also a good notice for me since I am in the interviewing process for a major company. This comment is with regard to the way that your company took my money a few years back and never assisted me in getting one job. I feel that I was taken advantage of at that time and am unsure about the honesty of paying any additional money to your Company.
There is no better job board in the world for executive professionals. When I started working, many people used to tell me, that for your educational background you desrve more than you earn. But when I asked these so-called advisers to help me in getting that job, they all drew blank.
Using a fast and straightforward interface, users can query this database saving them the trouble of going to each site individually.