The Character Effect in Psychology of Regret and Potential

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Some other related regrets with low frequency and having the similar antecedents, causes are:

I could have got work in a good company

I am unable to utilize my skills properly

The working environment is not good here

Pay is less

Awkward work timings

Un supporting colleagues

No leisure time

I am unable to devote time for PG entrance

Away from family

Outcomes:

Every regret lead to an outcome and with research we found out following outcomes. We tried to map the outcomes into 4 different categories namely Personal- Negative, Professional- Negative, Personal + Professional – Negative, and Personal + Professional- Positive.

Outcome

Mapping

Guilt

Personal- Negative

Demotivated

Lost friends

Financial loss

Disturbed family life

Financial loss to organization

Professional- Negative

Bad reputation of a scrupulous person in organization

Disturbed the entire workplace

Undeserved people got incentives

Produced average work

Lost a good chance to learn new things

Missed some good career Opportunities

Failure

Lost Trust of others

Personal + Professional - Negative

People took undue advantage of me

Unsatisfied

Frustration

Understood how to give your best

Personal + Professional- Positive

Got courage to speak against something wrong

Communication skills got enhanced

What you could have done to give your 100%?

Every Regret could be dealt with a tapped Potential inside. Once the potential is untapped, then by virtue of it one can deal with everything causing no regrets. The following answers are given by respondents after the detailed sensitizing interview.

Could have listened to my inner conscience

Confident is the key to success

Should have dealt with my fear of failure

I shouldn’t have set a low benchmark for me

Could have identified my weaknesses and then started working on

I didn’t utilize my strengths properly and also in right direction

Could have Raised voice against injustice

Shouldn’t have let frustration to take a control of me

I could have convinced myself that I am not the best and there is lot more to learn

Could have identified that I didn’t give my best in a task

Should have tried to resolve the conflict with the person

Laziness should have been avoided

Could have removed the specs of past projection and looked the things with fresh eye

I should have taken Anger management course

Instead of being jealous could have made myself capable to others

Keeping patience could have made my achievement bigger

I could have talked to senior authorities against hedonism

I could have stretched myself despite disease

I could have taken interest in my work

I should have managed time efficiently

Could have kept a proper communication with boss and colleagues

Misunderstanding should have been cleared as early as possible

I should have avoided going at extremes

Implications on Employees and on OB Practitioners:

Unhappiness or Regret is one of the biggest hindrance in the growth of an organization. OB Practitioners, HR Personnel, and Employees fail to address their Regrets considering them outside their control. This study has revealed another dimension of dealing with Regrets, that is Potential. This study would have an implication over employees and OB Practitioners with the way that they should now more concentrate on building character of themselves and others to deal with any organizational problem. This new virtue would open doors of progress in Professional and Personal life.

Conclusion:

With the kind of regrets, antecedents, causes, outcomes, and way to deal them, evolved during research and detailed interview, we came up with the fact that regrets are inversely proportional to Potential. And Potential is directly related to the strength of character. That more the virtue of strength of character of one, more would be its potential and more potential one will have, less would be their regrets. The character could be easily developed with practice that one can cultivate the strength of patience, which can lead to the virtue of happiness.

Limitation:

Although this research was carefully prepared, I am still aware of its limitations and shortcomings.