The capacity of hope
Are we right to be hopeful in this day and age? Apparently, President-elect Barak Obama's speeches, which had a theme of hope, struck a chord for many Americans and others around the world. But the cynics are saying that hope is not enough. I agree. But without hope it becomes far harder to do what we need to do. If you have no hope, it can be tempting to think, ‘What's the point?'
Martin Luther King once said, "If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all."
Hope enhances our capacity to take positive action. Often when people came to see me for counselling, it would often make me smile when people would say that their circumstances started to improve the moment they made an appointment to see me. I would sometimes joke that their fee started from that time.
Although I would like to take the credit for this improvement, the reality was more that people became more hopeful and this prompted them to take action. Even when people do make it through the front door of a therapist's office, the research says that hope accounts for 15% of any change that occurs.
Managers too know that the level of hope they have that their business will do well in the current economic climate will directly influence the attitude of their staff. All attitudes are contagious, especially those spread from above. If you are going to infect others, it may as well be with the positivity virus. Starting with the manager, the attitude will be passed on to the staff, and then be picked up by the customers.
Workplace attitudes should be a concern as customers do not want to do business with people who are negative. Am I saying that you just need to think happy thoughts? Not at all. We need to balance hope with realism AND we also need to take action.
Apart from setting the right example with attitude, managers can also invest in their staff. They can do this by telling staff the reasons they are hopeful. Managers also invest in their staff by giving them time and encouraging their development. Now is not the time to cut back on your training budget. When staff feel secure, valued, and hopeful, it becomes so much easier to do what it takes to help the organisation to succeed.
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Ken Warren BA, M Soc Sc is Australia's leading speaker on Workplace Relationships and an expert on People Management Skills. With his engaging, interactive and positive seminars, Ken has shown thousands how to turn difficult people around and bring out their best. Check out all his FREE resources at www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au
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