We’ve all heard about the optimist viewing the glass as half full while the pessimist sees it as half empty. However, neither achieves a winning result … no matter which way you look at it, the glass is still at 50% of its capacity! So instead of arguing about how one should “feel” about the situation, how about doing something about it and getting the glass filled to 100% capacity? That’s where Optimistic Pessimism kicks in:

The Optimist

• It’s half full
• Aren’t we lucky?
• We should be happy we’ve got some water!

But just being optimistic and having a positive outlook doesn’t change the actual status, you’re just focusing on the positive aspect of the situation (still have half a glass of water) vs. the negative aspect (half of the water is gone).

The Pessimist

• It’s half empty
• We’re in trouble!
• We’ll be all out of water in no time
• We’re doomed!

This approach also achieves the same result – living with a half glass of water, but instead of being happy about it, you get to wallow in misery!

Optimistic Pessimism

• Admit it’s half empty
• Yes, we have a problem!
• However, how can we get more water?
• Let’s put a plan together to get it filled up
• Now we reach full potential – a FULL glass of water

Whether it’s a product, a project plan to deliver the product, or an overall business, you continuously need to assess the current state, identify the weak links (problems and opportunities), and then improve on them. However, the first step in solving any problem is admitting that you HAVE a problem! That’s where the pessimistic perspective comes into play – always looking at “what’s wrong”. However, just complaining about what’s wrong doesn’t make the problems go away.  The second step is DOING something about it! That’s where the optimistic perspective kicks in – having a positive vision of that future state and taking the initiative to drive to it.

Here’s to your success!

• Pete

Pete Rudak
President & CEO
Rudak Engineering