Four Ways to Turn Pessimism into Optimism

Thursday, 05. 7. 2009  –  Category: Ranger Wireless Solutions

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could always just look on the bright side?  Some may call that unrealistic or naïve; others downright impossible.  In today’s world, with economic recessions meeting up with swine flu, you can’t help but run into things that get you down.  At the office, it is no different.  Cutbacks, layoffs and mergers all give fodder to the side of our mind that runs wild with pessimism.  But offices can’t run on pessimism without it affecting the quality of work and life that goes on in them.  So what can you do to turn the proverbial frown upside down?  It’s all about consistency.

Don’t Underestimate the Need for Connection

When things are tough, a lack of consistent connection makes it ever more difficult.  Rumors and assumptions fly around all the time.  If there isn’t appropriate information being funneled in as well, chances are that those rumors start to morph into “fact.”  That is why it is imperative to stay connected with everyone in your team.

Remember also that no details are too small to disseminate.  Oftentimes, we assume that others are in the loop with us.  But if they are left out, we are suddenly left with two issues to resolve—getting them the needed information and reassuring them that they are a valued enough member of the company and deserved to have received it.

Practice Consistent Decision Making

Nothing gets people more frustrated than a pair of decisions that are so divergent that you can’t understand how they can be made by the same person.  We may not always agree with one another, but we usually can at least respect the other person’s position.  When we can’t anticipate where that person is coming from we naturally layer onto our frustration a level of fear and distrust that is deadly to the business environment.  Since we can’t control human nature, we have to be sure we don’t trigger it in the first place.

That is why you need a plan, and you need to stick to it at all times.  Having a plan helps keeps the business from bouncing between divergent paths, which breeds trust amongst your co-worker and minimizes company resources.

Walk the Talk

If you expect others to see things from a sunnier perspective, you first must be willing to do so.  You can try all the programs you like, but people are most going to follow the attitude you take into your work.  Therefore, you need to assess how well you fit the mold you are trying to create.

Ask yourself questions like:

When a new idea is presented, do you first look at why it won’t work?
When something goes wrong, do you look to share your frustrations with co-workers?
When you throw an idea out to a team, how do you feel when it is analyzed by others?

No matter how hard you pretend you are a positive person, the truth lies in the attitude of those around you.  The regularity to which you respond negatively to tough situation will directly correlate to them.  You can try to hide your pessimism to yourself, but you can’t hide it from others.

Value Appropriate Attitudes and Reactions

If you are the poster child for optimism in your organization, anyone that you praise becomes another example of your desired outcome.  While we like to think that we don’t need praise, the truth is we do.  However, it’s not just about making ourselves feel good.  We also need to see praise to help us understand how we can curb our actions to receive more.  This means that whenever you praise someone, whether formally or in passing, you are giving an approval to the attitude and work ethic they bring.  Therefore, be sure that those you recognize first and foremost are shining examples of an optimistic attitude that you want all employees to have.  Recognizing those that don’t share this (or simply take enjoyment in ridiculing those with a positive demeanor) only keeps you further from your goal.

Changing organizational attitudes is no simple task.  It requires dedication and a lot of time for reinforcement of that attitude.  That is why facilitating an organization of optimism all starts with you being optimistic that it can happen.

David Fleming is the Director of Corporate Communications for CornerWorld.

Tags: article, attitude, culture, David Fleming, leadership, optimism, pessimism, recession, strategy