Workers who dwell on what might have been are more likely to be less engaged with their jobs. They are more likely to daydream, act distracted, take too many breaks, and skip work altogether. They are also less likely to help colleagues.
“One of the things we know from interviewing small-business people and entrepreneurs is that they vastly overestimate their odds of success,” a researcher says.
Like their male colleagues, women must make personal connections and promote their credentials. But while they’re “schmoozing,” women are also “scouting” for problem workplaces with barriers to getting promoted or balancing work and family.
When it comes to funding seed-stage startups—basically, entrepreneurs with little more than business models—questions run so deep that potential investors can be influenced simply by sunny days that brighten their moods.
