Most hiring managers focus on experience.

Some focus on intelligence.

Others focus on work ethic.

I look for something else first:

Emotional stability.

Not because I expect perfection.

Not because I expect people to never get frustrated.

But because every job eventually becomes a stress test.

The customer is upset.

The truck breaks down.

The software freezes.

The weather changes.

The schedule slips.

The question is not whether problems will occur.

The question is:

What version of you shows up when they do?

The Keyboard Test

I noticed something recently.

My son does it.

Steven does it.

They are both 17.

When the computer is not cooperating, they start pounding on the keyboard.

Not typing.

Pounding.

As if Microsoft secretly installed a feature where sufficient keyboard violence unlocks technical support.

As if the computer is going to say:

"Gentle typing has failed. Please proceed with emotional artillery."

The keyboard is not the issue.

The reaction is.

The Difference Between a Consumer and a Producer

A consumer often thinks:

"This machine is supposed to do what I want."

A producer thinks:

"Something is not working. Let's figure out why."

One mindset gets angry.

The other gets curious.

One amplifies the problem.

The other starts solving it.

The same pattern shows up throughout business.

• Customer upset?
• Truck breakdown?
• Website issue?
• Missed phone call?
• Scheduling error?

The emotionally reactive person asks:

"Who can I be mad at?"

The emotionally stable person asks:

"What's the solution?"

That difference matters.

I Am Not Looking for Robots

People often misunderstand this point.

I am not looking for emotionless people.

I do not expect people to be happy all the time.

I do not expect frustration, disappointment, stress, or irritation to magically disappear.

Life does not work that way.

Business certainly does not work that way.

Moving furniture can be frustrating.

Technology can be frustrating.

Customers can be frustrating.

Traffic can be frustrating.

The issue is not whether frustration exists.

The issue is whether frustration takes command of your behavior.

There is a significant difference between:

"This situation is frustrating."

and

"Because I am frustrated, everybody else is about to experience my frustration."

The first is maturity.

The second is emotional spillage.

Emotional Stability Is Not the Absence of Emotion

This is where many people get confused.

Being emotionally stable does not mean having no emotions.

It means your emotions do not have command authority.

• You can be angry without becoming irrational.
• You can be disappointed without becoming defeated.
• You can be frustrated without losing professionalism.
• You can feel pressure without creating panic.

The strongest people I have worked with were not emotionless.

They simply remained operational under pressure.

Why This Matters in a Moving Company

At Two Marines Moving, things go wrong.

That is not pessimism.

That is reality.

• A couch gets stuck in a stairwell.
• A client changes plans.
• A truck develops a mechanical issue.
• Rain appears out of nowhere.
• A GPS sends a crew to the wrong location.

The question is not whether problems happen.

The question is how people respond when they happen.

One emotionally volatile person can infect an entire crew.

One emotionally stable person can calm down an entire operation.

That is leadership.

And leadership is contagious.

Both good and bad.

The Hidden Cost of Volatility

Many people think emotional volatility is merely a personality issue.

I think it is often an operational liability.

Here is why.

The original problem already exists.

Now the emotional reaction becomes an additional problem.

• The truck issue has to be managed.
• The client issue has to be managed.
• And now management must also manage the emotional explosion.

One problem becomes two.

Two become three.

That is inefficient.

Organizations do not fail because problems exist.

Organizations fail because people stop solving them.

Anybody Can Look Good on a Good Day

Everyone looks professional when everything is working.

The true test comes when things stop working.

Character reveals itself under pressure.

Some people become solvers.

Some become amplifiers.

Solvers reduce chaos.

Amplifiers increase chaos.

Solvers make the team better.

Amplifiers force the team to carry their emotions in addition to the mission.

That is why emotional stability is not simply a personality trait.

It is a professional skill.

What I Look For

I look for people who can say:

"Yep, that's a problem. Let's solve it."

I do not need dramatic speeches.

I do not need keyboard pounding.

I do not need emotional theater.

I do not need a demonstration of how frustrating the situation is.

I already know it is frustrating.

We all know it is frustrating.

I need people who can stay focused long enough to solve the problem.

Final Thought

Business supplies enough chaos on its own.

Clients, weather, trucks, technology, scheduling, payroll, reviews, and unexpected surprises create plenty of friction without anyone adding more.

That is why I value emotional stability so highly.

Not because life is easy.

Not because business is easy.

But because difficult situations require people who remain effective when things become difficult.

Anybody can perform when everything goes right.

Professionals distinguish themselves by how they perform when everything goes wrong.

And that is why I view emotional stability not as a personality trait.

I view it as a professional competency.

Semper Fidelis,
Nicholas Edmond Baucom
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Two Marines Moving

Marine Combat Veteran Founded & Owned Since 2008. Industry Leading Pay. Moving Done Right. Join the Mission.