When Going Negative Can Be a Positive

If you want to be hired for the job, you’d like the person in charge of hiring to have interest and hope in you and your abilities. If you’re looking to partner with a venture capitalist, you’d hope that your potential partner is ecstatic about your idea.

These examples are self-evident, but there also may be times when you need to provoke a negative emotion.  For example, when attempting to convince a sluggish manager that it’s finally time to do something about his department’s lackluster customer service, make him feel the same frustration you, your colleagues, and your clients feel about his lack of performance in that area. You may even want him to experience some regret, as he realizes he’s not reaching his full potential as a department head.

If momentarily experiencing these negative emotions is the catalyst to spur someone to fix the problem, then what’s the problem?

Beware, however, that just like rafting through grade five whitewater, it’s the way in which you navigate the rapids that determines your success.