The HBR Guides Collection (8 Books) (HBR Guide Series)

A Smarter Way to Network

131

John, an academic, realized that two university admin-

istrators in his network were causing him a great deal of

anxiety. This had so soured his view of his school that he

was considering leaving. He therefore decided to devote

less time to projects and committees that would involve

the negative contacts and to avoid dwelling on any snip-

ing comments they subjected him to. Within a year he

was much more productive and happy. “By shifting my

role and how I reacted to the idiots, I turned a negative

situation around,” John says. “In hindsight it was an ob-

vious move—rather than leave a place I loved—but emo-

tions can spiral on you in ways you don’t recognize.”

The next step is to ask yourself which of the six catego- ...