Positive expectations lead to positive results. This is because confidence and energy increase when we believe in ourselves. Conversely, a negative outlook contributes to a lower chance of succeeding. Basically, with positivity, we are capable of whatever we believe we are capable of.
It makes sense, therefore, to create more opportunities to include positivity. This can manifest in many forms: attitude, environment, expectations, etc.
In recent years, it has become more difficult to maintain positive expectations as stress and uncertainty have skyrocketed as a result of the pandemic. Not surprisingly, there has been an increase in depression, suicide, drinking, and crime.
On one hand, we put up with and even enable negativity and bad behavior. For example, in recent weeks, a coached punched another coach, an actor hit another actor, and we allowed senators to act disgracefully while utterly disrespecting a Supreme Court nominee. While all of these occurrences should be intolerable, most of the reactions were minimal or people used it as material for humor. Bad behavior should not be tolerated the way it is.
Fortunately, to offset this, there have also been some recent examples that highlight how positive efforts can improve situations. One of the most incredible reactions to the challenges with Russia is the response of Poland and Ukraine. They have literally helped millions of refuges find food, shelter, clothing, and new lives in less than a month. Their efforts are proving we can be kind, caring, and positive in an environment that is sometimes completely chaotic.
So, how do we forge ahead with a positive outlook that encourages and fosters good behavior and successful results?
Be supportive. Watching parents and little kids is one of the best examples of executing positive expectations. Kids learning to talk, walk, or ride a bike are full of excitement and confidence. At the same time, parents are supportive, encouraging, and watching with glee. If we could support one another, both in and out of work, with this same enthusiasm, how much more successful could we all be?
Consider your perspective. A great (and often unused) tool for developing more positive solutions is to recognize parameters. The recent volatility in the stock market has been well documented. What is not clear is how to analyze and interpret it. For example, two publications reported results with different interpretations and perceptions. One reported that the S&P 500 increased 3.6% in March. The other reported that the S&P 500 declined 4.9 % in the quarter. Both are true, but the interpretation is different.
Weigh all the options. For example, going back to the office creates numerous positive opportunities while working from home has numerous cost, privacy, and lifestyle benefits. In particular, new technologies have made communication, sharing files, and interaction even better. However, being in the office encourages better culture and communication benefits. We must better understand situations, needs, and performance to develop the best solutions. Many decisions are based on tradition and opinions, but maximizing the alternatives can have great benefits. Which option produces the most positive results?
Get out of your comfort zone. Take risks, shake things up, and avoid getting stuck in a rut. This is how we continue to challenge ourselves and foster growth. Risk needs to managed rather than feared. Understanding the risk, the rewards, and the importance of each can help you improve outcomes. Don’t allow fear, uncertainty, or tradition to lower your potential and prevent you from trying something new. The positive: no matter the results, you have gained valuable tools that will help you to continue improving.
Take advantage of opportunities. We’ve had a lot of disruption lately and that can often feel like a challenge rather than an opportunity. But, in my own experience with corporate turnarounds, it’s much easier to motivate, innovate, and develop collaboration in troubled or changing organizations than within those whose culture is based on the closed-minded rule of “we’ve always done it this way.” It’s amazing how many individuals and organizations have incorporated new efforts like E-commerce, work-from-home, Zoom, etc. in order to adapt to the times and, consequently, have actually improved their results.
All of this isn’t to say that every situation should be met with a naive sense of positivity. There are, of course, situations that are very nuanced and require more than a “just look on the bright side” response. Negative emotions should be addressed and we should always try to respond to distress with empathy rather than false reassurances.
In the end, however, looking for the positive rather than focusing on the negative usually gets us further in the long run. I think we can all agree that we’re happier when there are good things happening. So, let’s not only look for the positive, but help put more positivity out there through our work, thoughts, words, and actions.
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If you think are you aren’t susceptible to denial, you’re in denial. It’s a difficult thing to manage, compared to simple lying, because much of denial can be unconscious and, as a result, more difficult to recognize and change. But, change we must, because denial prevents us from seeing and addressing critical issues that could greatly affect outcomes, both personally and professionally.
I find that, except for the news, we favor positive circumstances and sometimes deny challenges. We “see what we want to see” by checking the stock market or the score of the game only when we’re ahead. We look for positive weather forecasts and focus on the great things about our kids. This type of tunnel vision can make it hard to see the whole picture. It can also affect decision-making in cases where positive bias greatly alters assessments.
Psychologically, denial is a mechanism that results from the inability to cope with reality. However, there is an immutable fact about denial: it does not work as a long-term problem-solving mechanism. Reality always wins. And when it does, the next step in the process is blame, which shifts responsibility onto someone or something else. Blame eases the pain when reality bites. But, we need to take ownership of our actions and recognize that if we work to avoid bias and denial, we can often avoid having to face a harsh reality down the road.
Bias is one of the greatest deterrents of accurate scientific analysis. I also believe social bias can be more impactful than statistical. These include our preconceived perceptions and assumptions. I am always amazed that many programmed employee selection tools outperform interviews, especially in jobs requiring specific skills. Similarly, the perceptions of many presentations are established in the first minute or so.
Cultural and environmental factors also affect bias. Dress, demographics, weather, location, and culture all affect perceptions in the decision-making process. These can also be used to your advantage when talking to colleagues by increasing bonding with similar people. Whenever I meet someone who is also from the Southside of Chicago like I am, agreement on differences becomes much easier.
Denial is more prone to happen when there is more complexity and variables involved in a situation. Our brains try to counter this by attempting to create simplicity. Once we understand that this is what is happening, we can use to our advantage. For example, we all know simplicity can help decision making by prioritizing, focusing, and pursuing clear goals. On the other hand, we need to consider multiple factors like rewards, probability, environment, resources etc. in making our decisions. Here are some examples where the two strategies can be complementary:
The 80-20 rule (which states 80% of results are from 20% of effort) calls for focus to be more important than ever. Eliminating unproductive efforts is the most important aspect of the 80-20 rule.
More data, variables, and analysis are generally good, but it must be useful, valid, and correct. For example, if you are measuring an outcome, pinpoint the important factors rather than trying to measure everything. In particular, you should be careful to avoid random relationships and misinterpreting cause and effect. For instance, pre-pandemic data may be less relevant than before.
Most efforts have multiple goals like sales, growth, profit, quality, good will, satisfaction, etc. What is the priority and importance of these goals and how are you measuring them? Personally, I am always battling writing long blogs that are intellectually interesting versus short practical blogs with specific recommendations.
There are tradeoffs among innovation, experience, excellence, risk, and quality. Quite simply, the more innovation you pursue, the more trial and error. In contrast, you want experience and quality if you are doing things like open-heart surgery.
Denial reduction can also be affected by our attitudes and mood. Don’t underestimate the benefits of just taking a break or getting enough sleep in developing a more realistic approach. One of the side effects of working from home may be an endless workday and a lack of distractions, which provides no time to relax and reenergize.
Balancing simple and complex tasks can be improved by focusing on your strengths and paying less attention to your weaknesses. For example, I have a client who has the best product in the industry, but charges a little more money. She has achieved success by moderating some prices, but mostly developing messages that explain her quality difference.
Don’t underestimate intuition, which is quite different from denial. While we continually get more data to make better decisions, we should not forget our gut feelings. Someone does win the lottery and some of the best outcomes come from low probability efforts. For example, the pandemic has caused great uncertainty about 2022 and there are lots of opportunities to take a little more risk.
The use of virtual rather than rigid models can help deal with complex issues. They are easier to understand, diagnose errors, and manage multiple situations. In general, we are moving towards more flexibility in decision-making.
Openness can also facilitate avoiding denial. Organizations need to be open to measurement and feedback. Observing, understanding, and sharing financials, operations reports, and sales reports are the first step. Simple research tools that social media can provide can be used regularly. A management style such as the “walk around” and asking simply, “how are you doing, is there anything you need?” can be priceless. Look for alternatives and ‘what if’ discussions.
We all experience denial, but it is our responsibility to admit when we’re allowing our own biases to influence us or giving in to our brain’s desire to simplify complex issues. Therefore, we must constantly work to develop safeguards that will help recognize, test, and avoid denial. Because when we can see the full picture clearly, we are able to react and respond in the most effective way.
If we didn’t realize it before, the pandemic certainly proved how important human connections truly are. As social creatures, we thrive on interaction with our peers. So, it is no surprise that many of us struggled personally and professionally while unable to connect with family, friends, colleagues, and coworkers for an extended period of time. However, with vaccinations helping to increase our ability to see each other once again, one of the biggest opportunities we are presented with is the potential to reconnect and start new connections.
We need to consider just how much the last couple of years distanced us from others, aim to accept and adapt to the things that have changed, and actively work to rekindle existing relationships while continuing to build new ones. For example, offices are reopening and we need to understand the pace and extent of the reopening. Water cooler jokes may be obsolete, but connecting via Zoom will probably be here for the long-term.
So, what can you do in this new norm to adjust in order to foster worthwhile and effective connections? This should not be a sophisticated analytical exercise. Instead, I suggest simpler and, sometimes, known recommendations that can be quickly adapted:
Small moments make a difference. Saying please and thank you go a long way. Asking, “how are you?” (and truly listening to the response) can really benefit a conversation.
Be brief. Keep things simple whenever possible. And, when creating a presentation, try cutting it in half… then cut it in half again! It’s better to keep people wanting more.
Make a meaningful impression. Did you know that 90% of most impressions are made in the first 30 seconds of contact, and they are not based on the substance of the communication? Make those 30 seconds count.
Utilize facial expressions and body language. Your eyes, mouth, brows, and other facial features can reveal more than what you say. These clues give professionals better effectiveness in meetings. Especially with the rise of virtual interactions, it’s helpful to be more expressive in order to convey your meaning and/or attitude.
Interpersonal trust. Invest in building personal trust and developing richer sensory experiences that help cultivate connections. For example, our sense of touch (like when we shake hands) conveys emotions that can greatly enhance our communications.
Develop and use new communication tools and don’t depend on PowerPoint. It is among the most overused current communication tool and it ignores the needs of the audience. There is nothing worse than having the lights go out and sitting through a 30-60 minute canned, slick, PowerPoint sales presentation. Instead, aim to create a presentation that engages and interacts with your audience.
Understand and respect colleagues, clients, and competition. Asking questions is one of the best ways to gain a better understanding of someone else’s experience. Additionally, when reviewing your service offering or considering new ideas, try asking yourself what customers are currently using and how your product or service is better? In other words, why should customers choose you? Genuinely knowing your customers will help you answer these questions.
Recognize the benefits and strengths we learned from video and virtual communication. Workers are becoming increasingly comfortable using video and audio-conferencing technology. Companies are acknowledging and accepting the benefits of online meetings, such as greater reach and efficiency. Use these to your advantage.
Focus on engagement. Distractions continue to be a challenge, but they aren’t a result of technological limitations. The solution is actually in the way we run meetings. With enhanced visibility, live chat, polls, surveys, and even sub-conferencing features, guests can easily ask questions, gain clarity, brainstorm, and collaborate together. It’s just a matter of finding what works best for your meetings.
A great presentation relies on several different aspects. It’s not just about the words you say or the images you show. The entire experience plays a part in how much the audience retains or feels inspired. People can become preoccupied with the environment of the meeting. Communication, lighting, room temperature, and other factors can ruin a connection. The easiest recommendation to improve audience connection is with food. We all know what it’s like to get hungry, bored, and distracted, especially in long sessions. Taking breaks and offering snacks can reduce boredom and fatigue.
Interpersonal connections are the glue holding together our social circles, our business networks, and our company cultures. When we put in the work to maintain existing relationships and strive to establish new connections in a healthy, respectful, and effective manner, our lives and businesses are better off for it. While some people may have grown distant over the last couple ears, there are always ways to reach out and revive these connections. Great opportunities often arise from those we know. And when we are all looking out for one another, rooting for each other, and helping one another succeed, that’s when we know we’ve truly cultivated valuable and genuine connections.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills, and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. We guide your plans for business success and unlock your profits. Our strategy includes clear steps, and over 150 free articles and templates to facilitate your efforts and guide your process. We’re here to help you get on track and stay there as you move forward.
We welcome comments, suggestions, and questions. You can write us at: bshlensky@startupconnection.net or call at 914-632-6977
When I started this article a few weeks ago, I thought things were getting less stressful with COVID starting to reduce and the economy booming. Since then, the Ukraine situation has escalated, inflation has increased, and stress seems to be rising again. All of this is a reminder that continual change seems more permanent, and we don’t necessarily know what it is or what it will be. Our strategy should focus on being flexible and preparing for whatever might happen.
For example, my and others stock portfolios dramatically increased between 2019 and 2021 by investing in high profile tech stocks like Amazon. In 2022, those and many other tech stocks are dramatically down. Thus, I am learning to diversify.
Similarly, things like COVID, mask mandates, going to back to work, entertainment, and restaurant businesses are experiencing continued uncertainty rather than a straight return to normality. In contrast, kids seem to be going back to school normally.
The most significant aspect of all of this continual change is increased stress and depression. While many of us experience the roller coaster effects of uncertainty every day, an increase in mental illness, drinking, suicides, and crime point to more long-term and serious implications.
So, what do we do? I recommend understanding some certainties, watching change, and developing more flexible strategies.
Some certainties:
There are new structural trends that are becoming embedded in our culture. While myself and others often discuss them, they need to be given more consideration in our strategies and programs. These include:
Income inequality continues to increase.
Technology continues to boom.
Bureaucracies continue to be less effective.
Some changes to watch:
The economy keeps growing.
Labor will continue to be tight.
These changes are producing inflation, which has not been significant for over a decade.
Ways to implement flexibility:
Review and measure your programs on a more regular basis. In particular, evaluate the potential of alternative strategies, such as Internet versus retail.
Allocate some of your time and financial resources to developing and evaluating new programs.
Understand and implement programs to better manage changes like work from home, revived entertainment and networking, school, and diversity.
While change and its uncertainty are increasing, we need to give even more attention to proven best practices. These include:
Utilize technology. It’s not going away. And, it can streamline many of your processes.
Diversify everything: portfolios, employees, your skill-set, etc. We can’t continue living in our own little bubbles. Diversifying also exposes you to more opportunities for return.
Be prepared to adapt quickly. Change is a constant and it’s happening rapidly these days. Don’t get left behind because you’re unprepared, or even worse, unwilling to change.
Prioritize the 80-20 rule. It has been proven time and again that 80% of business revenues are generated by just 20% of our customers. Yet, we all continue to waste time, money, and inventory dollars on customers that bring in a lower return. This tendency frequently adds unnecessary confusion and complexity.
Focus on service, image, andculture. These are frequently the biggest (and often least expensive) ways for small companies to develop a brand and differentiate themselves. Something to consider: In the current social climate, people are more inclined to connect with a brand or buy from a company that is aligned with a good cause and/or participates in charitable giving.
Consider structural changes. Open systems in particular have a number of benefits including more effective problem solving, leadership, communication, and planning. It might be time to reevaluate how your company functions on a structural level and whether or not it’s producing the results you want.
It always seems that as soon as we think things are “settling down” and we’re falling into a groove, that’s when we’re thrown a curve ball. This is because we’re utilizing a mindset that craves the comfort of consistency and reliability. We need to shift our mindset to one that expects change because, while none of us can predict the future, we can, with certainty, rely on change. This might make you feel uneasy, but know that we are all in the same boat. Try to remember that staying flexible will make adapting easier. And, implementing sound, proven strategies will not only set you up for success, but put you in a position to effectively and efficiently change with change.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills, and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. We guide your plans for business success and unlock your profits.Our strategy includes clear steps, and over 150 free articles and templates to facilitate your efforts and guide your process. We’re here to help you get on track and stay there as you move forward.
We welcome comments, suggestions, and questions. You can write us at: bshlensky@startupconnection.net or call at 914-632-6977
With the Internet as a daily staple in our lives, it may seem like we talk about everything and no topic considered off limits. However, when we take a closer look, most of our discussions are about nothing. Or, at least, not about anything substantial. Most people are more interested in popular topics than anything serious—just scroll through social media to witness countless examples of this. As a result, what important discussions are being ignored or avoided?
The most Googled searches over the last few months were eBook, YouTube, Amazon, weather, Walmart, Gmail, Home Depot, Target, and food near me. So, clearly Google isn’t being used as often to develop facts, evaluate different positions, or examine alternatives.
In general, we have built barriers and social taboos that limit discussion on critical topics, such as:
Sex may be a great conservational topic, but there are few discussions of practices especially after one has experienced puberty. The New York Times had an interesting article about sex among older people. One recounted story was about an aid entering a client’s room in a retirement home and finding two people romantically engaged. Being highly embarrassed and assuming something was improper, he asked his supervisor what should he do and was told to leave quietly and leave the door shut behind him. It reminds me of the saying, “It’s only awkward if you make it awkward.” And we’ve certainly made the topic of sex awkward with our own social constructs.
Politics receives a lot of attention, but there is very little constructive debate. In fact, many encounters start with rules about being polite and avoiding conflict. It is clear some of our leaders are even struggling to say nice things about some recent politicians who have passed away. This isn’t to say people need to get into fights, but there doesn’t seem to be any effort (or ability) to have constructive conversations anymore.
Intelligence has even become controversial. We have even elevated emotional IQ to avoid discussing if someone is actually smart. Evidently, it is acceptable to discuss if someone is a jerk, but not to discuss if they are halfway intelligent. Universities are reducing reliance on SAT scores for college admission. However, there are few discussions of what will replace it or the impact of the changes. Similarly, no one is talking about changing any of the other factors that bias the admission process.
Religion is consistently a controversial topic. Personally, I don’t understand how people can pray for God to help their baseball team or how God decides which team to root for. Similarly, using religion as means to avoid vaccination doesn’t seem like a valid excuse.
Finances are also typically avoided. The only probability is that people who are making money will talk about it and others won’t or are trying to figure out how much others are making. Notice how financial conversations have changed in 2022 seeing that the market has not done as well as previous years.
Even when we understand events, we are reluctant to discuss cause and effect. Facts are frequently more independent that we think. Too often, bias distorts positions and facts. We sometimes assume that the relationship among factors is a straight line. However, most relationships involve a variety of factors.
Entrepreneurs are often superb at describing how they perceive their company as different. Typically, the best sections of business plans are the description of the product or service and the expertise the members behind the business bring to the overall team. On the other hand, the weakest parts of the same business plans are, consistently, the competitive analysis, the market research, the marketing plans, and the distribution plans. See the chart below:
When we don’t take the time to talk through important issues, a lot goes unaccounted for. Committing to participating in open discussions can often shed light on critical aspects that may otherwise have been overlooked and, thus, save you from unnecessary frustration and extra work in the end.
One area where discussion is rampant and welcomed is sports. People love and accept criticism of their favorite teams. New York fans even support me in rooting for my Chicago teams. What makes this topic fair game for discussion? There is just as much passion, emotional attachment, and loyalty to sports teams as political parties. Yet, unlike politics, we don’t tiptoe around criticism and debate when it comes to sports.
Crime is another topic that is discussed often, but with very little substance. A few months ago, the big rant was about defunding the police. After recent violence, it is back to law and order, but little attention has been given to causes, analysis, or solutions. Similarly, there is no real effort to enact gun control or criminal justice legislation.
All of this is to say, we need more open discussion and should not avoid uncomfortable issues. Recently, a colleague of mine passed away. I will always remember our open discussions. We frequently had heated debates about difficult issues and, as a result, we developed some great solutions that were mutually beneficial. A heated discussion can still be respectful, productive, and produce positive results. Consider what topics you avoid and why. Engaging in these conversations could unlock new areas of growth and success—both professionally and personally.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills, and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. We guide your plans for business success and unlock your profits.Our strategy includes clear steps, and over 150 free articles and templates to facilitate your efforts and guide your process. We’re here to help you get on track and stay there as you move forward.
We welcome comments, suggestions, and questions. You can write us at: bshlensky@startupconnection.net or call at 914-632-6977
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