Don't Act Like a Goose at Work

If I told you not to act like a goose at work, you would almost certainly deny that a grownup like you would ever do such a thing. But I bet you can name a half-dozen colleagues who squawk too much, poop over other people's work, and stick their long necks in where they don't belong.

I'm using this admittedly silly example to make a serious point. One of the hazards of offering advice is that even if everyone agrees with the advice, only a very small percentage of people actually follow it.

Imagine that I told you, "Don't be overly sensitive. Sometimes a frown from your boss doesn't mean he thinks you are an idiot, it might just means he shouldn't have had tacos for lunch."

You would understand this simple observation and probably agree with it. But you still might worry the next time that your boss frowns, because I didn't tell you how to avoid being over-sensitive... or how to know the difference between being sensitive versus over-sensitive.

One reason why most advice doesn't include instructions on how to adopt it is because every person is different.

You might "act like a goose" at work because you are a bit insecure and when threatened you talk too much. (Don't get insulted, this is simply an example I am making up.)

On the other hand, Jerry in Accounting might act like a goose because his father acted like a goose, and so did his father's father. In fact, Jerry comes from a long line of people who act like geese. My instructions for Jerry would be completely different than my instructions for you. (This, of course, is all purely hypothetical, because I do not have a customizable set of instructions for no longer acting like a goose.)

Here's the truth: you will seldom find a complete answer in an article, book, TV show or even college classroom. At the end of the day, all the advice in the world serves mainly to help you form an opinion regarding what you most want to do in this world, and what you never want to do.

In other words, personal responsibility rules. Others can provide a few tips here and there, but there are no easy answers. You have to figure out the how, and you have to muster the energy and effort to prevail, even against long odds.

Once you realize this, life gets easier. You stop expecting others to change your circumstances, and you accept responsibility for your own fate.

But here's my question: why is it that again and again, the most popular business books and articles are the ones that profess to have an easy answer? What do you think?

Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for business professionals (that means people like you). Learn more at Kasanoff.com. He is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.