I have a confession: I am an unrepentant optimist. I’m told that I can find a silver lining in almost any circumstance, and while I’m not a complete idiot with respect to denying reality, I also don’t fall into the trap of seeing only the negative. Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a skeptical side (bordering on cynical), but I think they’d also recognize my generally optimistic nature. What does this have to do with your business?
It has to do with how new concepts are perceived by optimists. You probably hear about new ideas all the time. Sometimes those ideas make waves, and sometimes they bring storm warnings with respect to the future. It is easy to dismiss them. It’s also easy to find fault with them. You might ask yourself if whatever is being proposed is going to work. That is the wrong question in my mind since inherent in that question is the skeptic’s point of view. You assume there is a chance, maybe even a good chance, that it won’t work. You dismiss the idea and the possibility of any of the circumstances that might eventuate thereafter.
Optimistic little me doesn’t ask that question. I tend to think about what might happen if the new idea does work, however unlikely that might be. What next? How is my business different? What new competitors or markets emerge? Even if they don’t, by not having dismissed the new thinking out of hand, I’m better prepared to deal with whatever happens.
I tend to look on the bright side of life, as the song (below) suggests. Putting aside the positive mental outlook I think optimism provides, from a business perspective using the optimistic perspective would have allowed you to be ready for many of the changes of the last 30 years. So sing along with the Pythons and tell me if you don’t feel better!
Consult Keith 