Ross' Rules: create the illusion of hope

As a favor to an old friend I invited his grandson in for an interview. Despite the young man's average resume I gave him thirty minutes of my precious time and engaged him in a polite, if not genial manner. To his credit he was a kind, likable individual. Unfortunately, he was also unemployable.

I knew I would not hire him before the interview even started. I knew before my secretary even scheduled it. But because the interview was a favor, I proceeded. And he thought he might get a job.

Why?

Because I let him think as much. I allowed hope to creep into his mind and optimism invade his psyche. Not because I am too kind, but rather because to be rude to him would be an affront to my good friend who had asked the favor.

Hope is a powerful emotion- one of the few that has any place in business - and can be used as a powerful management tool. Like abandoned children clinging to the hope that their fathers will, for once, fulfill a promise, your employees should always believe that there exists the potential and possibility for something more, something better. A promotion, a raise, acknowledgement of their existence.

You should cultivate this hope despite the fact that you know such petty lifelines will never be realized.

I am sure that after his interview the young man blithely went about his day daydreaming about dressing up in his charcoal Brooks Brothers suit and walking with purpose to the job that would one day make him wealthy beyond his lower middle class dreams. I'm sure he checked his email every half hour, anxiously awaiting an email he surely thought would come. And I'm sure that as the days and weeks progressed, the hopes he once had were replaced by a seething anger that will one day serve as motivation.

I hope.