So, my fellow CFO's and Controllers, as promised in my previous post, here are the few tricks I use to privately release my frustration after calmly presenting the composed image to the rest of the world. They are in no specific order. I pick whichever feels right at a particular moment.
(1.) Go to the washroom, enter a stall, close your eyes and start cursing. Five minutes of swearing usually gives a tremendous relief. The volume doesn't really matter. If raising your voice helps you personally and you are sure nobody is around, go ahead. For me, however, loud whispering (the way actors whisper on stage, so that everyone can hear them), works the best. The dirtier the better. Just pretend that you are in a Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino movie. If you know other languages, use all of them. Remember, don't call the objects of your frustration by their names, but keep their faces in front of you mentally.
(2.) This release method is not my original. It was shared with me by one of my European colleagues and she has learned it from someone else - I am sure it's been passed on from one generation to another. I can vouch that it works like a charm. You have to create a "Page of Frustration." Draw some monster on it, something absolutely revolting. Your artistic abilities make no difference. You can ask a child to draw it for you. The most important thing is to write the title and the destruction instructions on the page. For example: "Page of Frustration. In case of emergency, throw it on the floor and stomp it to shreds." For some people "viciously crumple and tear it into small pieces" seems to be more appealing. Whatever works! Make yourself a stack of copies and keep them in your desk. Make sure that you don't run out!
(3.) Another useful inventory for a chronically frustrated CFO or Controller is a favorite treat. Don't get me wrong - the last thing I want is for anybody to become a closet eater, consuming large quantities of food in search of unattainable solace. No!!! That's not what I am talking about. I am talking about very small quantities of very small treats, eaten at a very slow pace: three of Godiva chocolate pearls, or five gummy bears, 1/2 oz of trail mix, etc. Separate them into these small portions in advance, keep only few in your office and consume only as a release remedy. It works more as a meditative solution than as aggression liberation, but sometimes that's all you need.
(4.) On my Front Page "Raison d'etre" and my Invitation page, I talk about the therapeutic effects of writing. And I maintain that committing your grievance to paper is the best form of releasing frustration, tension, stress and anxiety. You can do it in different ways. You can pour your heart out in a diary. You can pretend to write a letter or an email to the source of your pain (without sending them out, of course) describing the situation, verbalizing your feelings, expressing your concerns. Or you can go a step further towards more satisfying resolution. You can write that email and send it to me. Not only that I will become the receptacle of your turmoil, but I will give it even bigger audience by sharing it with other CFO's, Controllers, etc.
