Have you ever been in a meeting where someone puts down every idea or always jumps right to the risks of a new tactic or strategy? They claim that a proposed initiative is doomed to fail or assert that “we’ve tried that before and it didn’t work.”
Are You the Pessimist on Your Team?
Identify what’s at the root of your outlook to figure out when it’s helpful and when it’s not.
October 23, 2023
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Summary.
Raining on people’s parade is rarely welcome. How can you moderate your pessimism so that you can be effective — and have healthy relationships with your colleagues? In this article, the author outlines practical, research-backed strategies to try. You may not be able to change your outlook — particularly if you’re someone who has a prevention focus — but remind yourself that you do have agency. And you can make choices to change your behavior so that your negativity isn’t infecting anyone else.