Ask Roar from 34, Vol. 2

The second edition of the imagined advice column "Ask Roar from 34" handles inquiries about whether it's better to be loved or respected, pressure to perform, and concentration lapses at work.


Dear Roar from 34,

I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, but doggone it, some people don't seem to like me. I'll admit, I haven't always been the best boss, but I've really been trying of late, and things are getting better around here. What can I do to convince people I'm not such a bad guy?

-Weary in the Warehouse


Dear Weary,

Surely you've developed good relationships with at least some of your employees. Why not try having one of them reach out to other people and tell them about your good qualities? People will be a lot more willing to listen to a trusted surrogate than the object of their contempt.

-Roar from 34


Dear Roar from 34,

Everyone faces expectations at their job. It just so happens that the expectations for me are pretty darn high. That's not the problem. Rather, I'm afraid that people will be disappointed that they didn't set even greater expectations for me once they see what I can do. How can I keep people from letting themselves down?

-What Pressure to Perform?


Dear What Pressure,

You can't control what other people think, say, or do. Just be yourself, stay humble, and hit more than 30 home runs while driving in 100+ RBIs, and everything will be fine.

-Roar from 34


Dear Roar from 34,

The guys at work seem to have trouble focusing at times, which causes some pretty routine mistakes on the job. Sometimes it's as if guys are just standing flat-footed out there. Is there such a thing as collective ADD?

-Bumbling on the Basepaths


Dear Bumbling,

Scientifically speaking, no, there isn't such a thing as collective ADD. However, based on what you've described ....

Further research is necessary.

-Roar from 34