Ladies. If you have been brought to tears in the workplace, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this but your credibility has been shot. That’s right, you have essentially ruined your chances of impressing anybody who witnessed the crying — or even those who heard about it.
You are no longer executive material or a candidate for promotion.
Now you’re just labelled ’emotional’ and ‘another woman who can’t cope’. Yes I know it’s not fair, but it’s reality.
Isn’t it lovely when other colleagues console you during a shocking experience? Maybe the CEO berated you in front of all the staff? Or you’re going through a divorce and it all hit you at once during office hours. Well you’re wrong. It’s not a good thing at all. Being comforted at work is not something you should be looking for.
If you want to make it in business or the corporate world you need to harden up.
This doesn’t mean you need to be a man but perception is extremely powerful. Just like you would judge someone subconsciously based on their clothing or how they speak in a meeting, people will do the same with you if you cry.
So what to do when you feel your emotions starting to take over?
You must keep a poker face. Then excuse yourself from the room and head to the bathroom, have your cry, fix yourself up and get back to it. If you’re going through a hard time personally then carry a make-up kit with you so you’re always prepared for the apres-cry (in private) touch-ups.
So what to do when you have already cried? It’s time to find another job. Yes I’m serious. Word will spread like wildfire that you ‘cracked’. So just pretend it didn’t happen and start searching for a new role — in a new industry if you can.
You are a strong woman and we can’t have your image destroyed in business because of one incident!!
