THE advertising agency isn’t an office; it’s a home. People spend more time at work than at home, so the office must be comfortable; going to office must be a welcome act. That is why harmony is primordial.

The fastest way to turn tasks into tribulations, simple chores into sizeable crosses is to inject disharmony into the workplace. In my nearly half a century in the advertising industry, I saw how the nasty and the negative, how even one grumbling, mumbling employee can disturb an office. I call them blackholes, as recognition of the strength of the negative. One black hole can suck up all the humor and congeniality from an otherwise happy team or company.