Lessons from Larry David Why you should be a curmudgeon at work

Lessons from Larry David Why you should be a curmudgeon at workLessons from Larry David Why you should be a curmudgeon at workWhen the HBO hit series Curb Your Enthusiasm returned to HBO earlier this month after a six-year hiatus, it brought with it the return of a host of cringe-inducing personal and professional confrontations that series creator Larry David gets himself into on screen.Since pop culture can be a treasure trove of life and career inspiration, we thought wed examine some of the finer points of channeling your inner misanthrope for good, and the unexpected ways that Larry David-level crankiness can actually benefit you.In other words, sometimes it might be worth asking yourself, WWLD? (What Would Larry Do?)Optimism is the enemy (at least some of the time)According to an article in The Atlantic a few years back, positive thinking can actually be a bad thing if it zaps your motivation toward working toward your goals. The article references Dr. Gabriele Oettigens book R ethinking Positive Thinking, in which she mentions that optimism is a critical component of conceiving goals but it can actually become a barrier when trying to work toward them since it can ultimately, diminish your motivation to complete your task. In other words, dreaming isnt doing.Lesson learned from Larry The glass really isnt half full all the time. Try to plan beyond your goal to keep you working instead of giving up when youre close to the finish line.Cranky people get respectHuman Resources AnalystLaura Handrickhas never been never been the cranky one in the workplace, but she has noticed and often admired them Because theyre the ones that take a more cautious approach, glass half empty, what might go wrong point of view - and often theyre not only correct, but people listen to them.For that reason, Handrick admits that The cranky ones are the people I trust to vet my ideas and make sure Im not too enthusiastic about a new process, software purchase, or approach. If I thi nk something is a great idea (ice cream social) theyre the first to tell me its not such a cool idea and why (lactose intolerant team members).Handrick explains that The cranky ones are the people who typically have been in the company a while, seen it done before, (seen it fail before) and can steer me clear of mistakes and landmines. More than that, theyre the ones who know exactly how to complete the IT project proposal in just the right way to make it through to the steering committee they know exactly what not to do. And they pride themselves on that knowledge.Lesson learned from Larry Find a ratgeber whos failed before succeeding. Its easy to try to cozy up to the golden boy in the office, but sometimes its the people who have been around the longest whove seen everyone elses rise and fall who can help you out the fruchtwein.Pessimists live longerA few years back a German study of over 40,000 people reported that Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more car efully, taking health and safety precautions. Im not suggesting you go full grouch all the time, but it makes sense. Feeling great about everything all the time might mean youre missing warning signs or not taking them seriously enoughA lot like Larry David in his show.Lesson learned from Larry Its fine to be inexplicably exuberant much of the time - as long as youre paying attention to the potential stumbling blocks in your way.Slow and steady wins the raceCurb Your Enthusiasm has had a particularly long shelf life by TV standards. In fact, its been about 17 years since the first episode aired and theres no end in sight. With so many shows being canceled immediately after the pilot, its encouraging to know that a show about a mostly unlikeable man messing up repeatedly has been on the air in some form or another for close to two decades.Lesson learned from Larry Timing really is everything. If your project doesnt seem to be working, head back to the drawing board and try to find a way to make it relevant for the here and now. Tweak. Revise. Rework as needed.Dont play by other peoples rulesIts important to realize that despite his eponymous shlub of a character on the show, Larry David the man is not the TV character. In fact hes one of the most successful producers of all time - guiding Curb Your Enthusiasm as on Seinfeld (co-created by David) - towards subject matter that examines the tiny details and annoyances that make up daily, if exaggerated versions of life. The dialogue on both shows is largely retroscripted, or improvised by the actors who are given an outline by David.Lesson learned from Larry Theres a way to do things in life, and then theres the Larry David way - both the real man and the fictionalized version. David doesnt seem to play by all of Hollywoods rules and hes still managed to carve out a niche career playing a guy who gets things wrong all the time.