My assumption is that most of us would agree. When we feel worried or depressed we don't tend to spend money and that's clearly bad news for retailers.
As a coach and therapist, I started to wonder what else the impact of less-than-cheerful messages might be. Much of the current rhetoric of our political leaders feels critically parental to me and critical parents have a very predictable effect on the way we feel, think and behave. What might the impact be and what parallels exist inside the organisations for which we work?
Whether it's in politics or in the workplace, if people relate to us in the here and now as adults, we tend to obey the law of reciprocation. We generally feel heard and respected and this makes use feel positive and inclined to join hands with them and look for common solutions to our problems. This is the whole premise upon which progress as diverse as quality improvement in the automotive industries and enhanced safety records in aviation is built. Think Toyota and Korean Airlines as just two well-known examples.
If, on the other hand, people relate to us as parents and our experience of them is that they are being critical rather than caring, we tend to react in one of two ways: we either rebel or we simply roll over and capitulate.
In Manchester the other weekend, there was clear evidence of rebellion as thousands of people took to the streets in protest at cuts and austerity measures. There wasn't much evidence of joint problem-solving to be seen. It all felt negative and confrontational and whilst it was undoubtedly cathartic for those who took part, I doubt it did much to move the debate on.
Even if our reaction is different and we don't feel angry and rebellious, it's likely that our primary emotions will be either sadness or fear; maybe both. Neither of these are particularly constructive, nor are they likely to be very adaptive.
Frightened and depressed people aren't confident, they don't take risks and their energy levels are likely to be low. The likelihood of discretionary effort being shown is minimal. The economy won't be fixed by massed ranks of obedient drones, each quietly going about their business in deferential respect of their elders and betters.
The same is true at work and is brought into even sharper relief by generational differences. Even a cursory glance at today's graduates shows that their psychological contract is different. There's no guarantee of job security and all-pervading sense of impermanence about work. How can we expect them to show loyalty to anyone other than the people they have immediate relationships with - certainly not to some abstract concept like the body corporate?
Much has been written about the death of command and control leadership and whilst the overt display of status is generally less evident in today's workplaces - with the aggressive boss of the past being replaced by the more outwardly egalitarian figure of the present - it is not true that power issues have gone away. There is still a tendency for people to relate to others on unequal terms.
Managers have a right to manage and there's no compelling evidence that the economy would be better as a whole series of workers' co-operatives, but we need to go beyond the superficial polishing of soft skills. We need to change the way people relate to each other in organisations, the type of conversations that happen and the way power, position and influence plays out.
So if our politicians and bosses really do want to see energy, confidence and entrepreneurial zeal, don't just cut out the negative language but start relating to the electorate and workers as equals.
Talk to us and treat us as adults and we might just respond in the same way.
Chris Welford, director, Serco Consulting
