The Two Ways Reacting at Work Is Hurting Your Career

Every day we are all faced with a myriad of situations in and out of the office. These days, most people feel the stress of emergencies often; sometimes, this emergency mode seems normal. How we react to these situations can severely impact your work and ultimately hurt your career. 

There are ultimately two ways that your reactions can hurt your career: internal reactions and external perceptions. Both of these are key to address, as the impact can change your career trajectory. 

Let's start with reviewing the idea behind reactions and why they will almost always hinder rather than help you. Reactions are rooted in emotions and usually akin to shooting from the hip. They are our gut instincts of how to counter something that has triggered some feeling in us. 

When we think of responding, technically, it is a form of reacting, but there is more intentionality behind it. Triggering situations still come up, but responding is processing possible outcomes based on how you respond in the given situation. It's about turning emotion into emotional intelligence. 

When thinking of how we show up at work, we become our own worst enemies when we react to triggers. While the deep desire to react triumphs and has the intention of helping you "survive" the event, the aftermath is what hurts us most. 

Internally, the rumination starts after not too long. We obsess and question; I should have 

• handled that differently

• said x

• done y

• not done z

• and so on

We are our own worst enemies, and this rumination typically spirals into a cycle of negativity, undervaluing our worth and berating ourselves. I'm sure we have all heard that negativity breeds negativity - or maybe the saying is positivity breeds positivity - either way, both are accurate and true. 

Once this negative mindset takes over, it will hurt your career. You will close your mind off to growth and possibilities. You internally shut yourself down, over and over. 

This internal reaction can also feed into the external perceptions based on the emotional reactions to whatever situation(s). When emotional reactions are directed to others or in the presence of others, ultimately, the experience isn't solely yours anymore. 

While your intention of "survival" of your emotional response is valid, everyone's perceptions are their reality. The interaction will leave a lasting impression on those around you, and that is formed based on their experience, not yours, and not your positive intention. 

Everyone’s perceptions are their reality.

If the judgment of you is that you are reactive or emotional, those usually aren't taken as positive in the light of career growth and trajectory.

So, where does this leave us, removing all of the passion from the work we do? Absolutely not; passion is essential for a professional drive. 

The secret is to learn how to respond (not react) to the given situation and harness your passion in an effective and meaningful way. 

With my clients, I focus on using my Recentering Method. This method is all about realizing what situations typically trigger a reaction and learning to pause and ask yourself some questions before responding. 

Internally they are learning to stop ruminating and obsessing before it starts, breaking the negativity cycle. Externally, they show up in the office as genuinely committed, passionate, and level-headed. 

Learning how to respond rather than react can ultimately trigger career growth and development like you never knew was possible.