Are You Superstitious About Your Business?

“Beware the Ides of March,” the soothsayer warned Julius Caesar. Naturally, Rome’s would-be dictator ignored this sensible advice and soon perished under the knives of those whom he had counted as friends. The stories we grow up on are filled with similar endings— it might be failing to avoid a black cat, passing under a ladder or walking into that creepy-looking house when all reason says not to. Do you take any of those stories to heart? Are you superstitious about your business?

It may not be so obvious.

Sure you might laugh at the idea of throwing salt over your shoulder before starting a business meeting with an important client, but what about the two cups of coffee you simply MUST have before you start you day, or the lucky tie you ALWAYS wear for an important presentation.

And then there’s the fact that nothing will get done until your dual monitors are perfectly aligned with each other and are at just the right angle. From a certain point of view, these actions are no different than anything people did in the olden days.

Strange superstitions have a long history amongst artists and athletes. Professional hockey players often won’t shave their lucky beard during the Stanley Cup playoffs. International soccer star David Beckham always wears a new pair of shoes for every game. Famed Russian composer Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky took a two-hour walk each day and believed disaster would befall him if he returned early.

Superstitions are real, right?

But what may surprise you most, is that superstitions are a real phenomenon, even in the corporate world. In fact, it can make a difference in your bottom line.

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, over $900 million dollars of business is lost from the periodic Friday the 13ths that occur during most calendar years.

It’s not all bad news though, even if you’ve accidentally left your rabbit’s foot home on the dresser. While superstitions can sometimes cost money, in many cases they’re actually a blessing. Almost all of us have some sort of ritual we do, and research has shown that performing these rituals gives us a greater sense of comfort, makes us feel more confident and helps increase our productivity in the office.

So rather than be embarrassed by some of the strange little things we use to get through the day, embrace them when at all possible and enjoy a happier, more efficient (if somewhat more eccentric) office. Who knows? You might not need that four-leaf clover after all. Then again, it couldn’t hurt, right?