I read a blog-post today extolling the power of adopting a
positive attitude and I felt my hackles begin to rise. That simple switch
seems to be the panacea for every ill, no matter how challenging.
At its worst, the emphasis on ‘attitude’ dangerously
misrepresents our relation to the world, implying that our attitude creates events and determines outcomes.
It's not that simple.
It’s not that a positive attitude is unhelpful. Indeed, I
find that many of my coaching clients underestimate their power and their
ability to control or influence a situation that challenges them. So often I
find myself helping them find clarity and perspective simply by asking “what do
you want?” and “how might you get it?”
As coaches, we often challenge our clients’ assumptions
about their power. We also help them recognise that the attitude they take to a
challenge is a choice. And that choice either opens up or closes down options
for action. All part of the coach’s armory.
But our armory also needs a model of power rooted in the
reality of organisational life – whatever the type of organisation our clients
operate within. Individuals have power but it is not unlimited. And success in
meeting a challenge is not just a matter of attitude: it often takes hard
realism, analysis and planning. We can borrow from best practice in
organisational change where strategic analysis, option appraisal and risk
management are all part of the kit bag. And so they should be when the change
is personal or interpersonal, even if we don't use those dry labels.
Good analytic tools complement the resourcefulness that
comes from a positive mind-set. Indeed, they ground that optimism, make it real
and enable the client to have a hard look at their emotional state and readiness for
action. They also show how it’s not your negative or positive mind-set that
brings greater control, it’s more your orientation towards action.
Passive optimism is often delusional. Passive pessimism
brings swift defeat. Both active optimism and active pessimism have strengths.
With clients, I challenge the first to bring rigour to their thinking. And
challenge the second to promote openness and creativity in finding solutions to
the risks they see.
So if you are facing a challenge at work, by all
means adopt a positive attitude. But more important than that: get real, get
serious and, when you’re ready, get moving.