Once there was a monk who was also a teacher of martial arts. One day a student who wanted to learn martial arts goes to this monk and requests him to teach martial arts. Though the monk is reluctant since he finds this student arrogant he is impressed with his passion and sincerity in learning something. So the monk asks this guy, “Tell me how strong you are and how many people can you fight now?”
This arrogant brat (like me!) is also well built and strong (unlike me!) and hence says that “Master, I can fight over 100 people and win over them.”
The monk smirks to himself and asks him to join the school. After few years, monk wants to find out what this guy has learnt and asks him the same question. “Tell me how strong you are and how many people can you fight now?”
Not to monk’s surprise but to our surprise this guy says that “Master, I think i can fight over 50 people and win over them.”
Many years pass by and then the monk asks him the same question. “Tell me how strong you are and how many people can you fight now?”
Not to monk’s surprise but to our surprise again this guy says that “Master, how can I tell you without knowing who the enemy is and what their strength is. But irrespective of how strong they are and how many they are I shall put a good fight”. The monk is impressed and tells him that he can go out of the school as his learning is complete.
There is a theory called as “The positive cycle of change”, where every individual would move through phases. They are:
This arrogant brat (like me!) is also well built and strong (unlike me!) and hence says that “Master, I can fight over 100 people and win over them.”
The monk smirks to himself and asks him to join the school. After few years, monk wants to find out what this guy has learnt and asks him the same question. “Tell me how strong you are and how many people can you fight now?”
Not to monk’s surprise but to our surprise this guy says that “Master, I think i can fight over 50 people and win over them.”
Many years pass by and then the monk asks him the same question. “Tell me how strong you are and how many people can you fight now?”
Not to monk’s surprise but to our surprise again this guy says that “Master, how can I tell you without knowing who the enemy is and what their strength is. But irrespective of how strong they are and how many they are I shall put a good fight”. The monk is impressed and tells him that he can go out of the school as his learning is complete.
There is a theory called as “The positive cycle of change”, where every individual would move through phases. They are:
1. Uninformed optimism
2. Informed Pessimism
3. Informed Optimism
4. Completion
Check out the URL which explains the theory. http://changingminds.org/disciplines/change_management/psychology_change/positive_change.htm
Our student has gone through these phases and we can easily relate this to our professional life too. When we join a new company or get married then the first stage we have is uninformed optimism. This is the honey moon period. We have accepted the change and have great expectations but our information levels are pretty low. But as time progresses just like the student above we also get to see the reality.
Once a sense of reality sets in then per the theory the person adjusts him to the situation and moves forward in life with realistic goals. If you notice the student’s confidence is reflected in this stage but he does not over estimate him.
Once a sense of reality sets in then per the theory the person adjusts him to the situation and moves forward in life with realistic goals. If you notice the student’s confidence is reflected in this stage but he does not over estimate him.
One of the important things I look for in potential managers is his ability to propel himself from a state of informed pessimism to a stage of informed optimism. How soon can he do for himself and how well can he propel his team. The optimist is a human incarnation of a spring. The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead. Working in ambiguity and in tough situations like the one we are facing now requires this leadership trait and unfortunately many of our colleagues and friends do not pass through to the 3rd stage from the 2nd. They may end up visiting / caught in the “Grief Cycle”. If you are people manager beware of this situation and this is a serious issue as this mentality is very contagious. http://changingminds.org/disciplines/change_management/kubler_ross/kubler_ross.htm
Don’t under estimate the importance of pessimists as they are Optimists with the right experience. But, both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. I also came across this brilliant video clip which argues about the “the case for optimism”.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/larry_brilliant_makes_the_case_for_optimism.html
Don’t under estimate the importance of pessimists as they are Optimists with the right experience. But, both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. I also came across this brilliant video clip which argues about the “the case for optimism”.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/larry_brilliant_makes_the_case_for_optimism.html
Yours contagiously +ve !
Happy Reading !
This is very good
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