Consider the Possibilities

Optimism as a Core Value.... Consider the Possibilities....
By Cindy Barber
 
Whatever you believe when facing an issue, you are probably right.  If you look at a problem as an insurmountable hurdle, you will be more likely to stop short of solving it.  If you look at the same problem as an opportunity with the possibility of a solution, you will begin to see options and will be much more likely to discover that solution.
 
Optimism, as a value, does not mean that you approach situations with a “rose-colored glasses” mentality.  It means that you believe in possibility.  A horrible mistake could possibly teach a company a huge lesson, save money or clients in the long run.  A problem may have existed in an organization for years but what if assembling the right people to brainstorm together could possibly solve it?  An employee doesn’t work well with some colleagues from another department and is constantly frustrated with them, causing conflict in every meeting they have.  Could it be possible that with some cross training, that employee could gain a different perspective and become a team player?
 
It is amazing the power that possibility has.  It is the birthplace of invention, aspiration and change.  We owe the entire aviation industry to two brothers that were not formally educated and had no money.  They looked at birds and considered the possibility that man could fly, an idea that was preposterous at the time.  With less than $1,000 and the belief in possibility, they soared both figuratively and literally.

Through an optimistic filter, the possibilities are endless for the transformation of leaders, organizational change, and business growth.   Considering possibility is how we integrate optimism, as a value, into daily work life.  There are hundreds of potential hurdles we all face each day.  Looking at them through the lens of possibility radically changes outcomes, organizations and lives. 

"The Wright brother flew right through the smoke screen of impossibility." - Charles Kettering