Is your agency BLUE?

It is one of the great joys in life when your adult children display the wisdom to teach you a thing or two.

My eldest daughter, Sarah, is a doctor, a clinical psychologist and a mensch. Last Friday she taught me the acronym BLUE.

BLUE is an affliction that affects many of the people my daughter treats. BLUE can also hinder agencies, assignments and accounts, too. 

In this context:

B stands for those that "blame themselves."
L means they are almost always "looking for bad news."
U is "unhappy guessing." We already know we are going to fail.
E stands for "exaggeration."We ALWAYS mess up. NO ONE likes us.

Think of how often BLUE behavior gets in the way of doing good work.

B--we blame ourselves. "The client didn't buy it because I didn't give them what they want." Or, the client won't buy it because we aren't bending over far enough.

L--if we don't do what the client wants, they'll surely fire us. Or take their assignment elsewhere.

U--I know we're already going to fail at this assignment.

E--We always mess up that's why we're in this situation.

Of course there are occasions where all of the above happens.  Where clients don't buy things. Where they yell, or threaten to fire you. When you fail, when you mess up.

But when BLUE thoughts takeover--when your BLUE-self keeps you from your true self, you're apt to be in a situation where there is internal discord. You're apt to present safe or triple second-guessed work. You're apt to create an environment where optimism is overwhelmed by cynicism.

BLUE. 

It's not a way to live.

Or to work.