Perspectives That Serve # 18 - Pessimism

Okay...my Dad is gnashing his teeth and Norman Vincent Peale is turning over in his grave. But the truth is pessimism asks a very valuable question, “What could go wrong”. It has great value if it isn’t allowed to lead the ship. In Learned Optimism, cognitive therapy leader Martin Seligman says that pessimism is essential to some jobs and some tasks. Estimating for example, like in construction requires that a person think through all the things that can go wrong and build contingencies into the cost. My Dad who is a natural crack optimist, and who has worked as a top notch builder most of his life, struggles with turning off the optimism at estimating time. Even his contingencies are optimistic. He naturally sees everything going well. My mom has been a good balance for him on this. If only she had become the estimator, I would be laying on a beach somewhere in the Carribean right now.

Many marriages are shared by “gas pedal people” and “brake people”. I guess this is okay, but somehow I think it would work out better if everyone learned to use the gas pedal and the brake on their own. One person’s refusal to use the brake causes the other to over use it.

If you have an estimating part to your selling, like our company does, learn to flip the switch over to pessimism when performing that part of the sale. Of course you can overdo anything. And an essential optimism is critical to selling. Other wise you would never walk out the door and make the first call. When I sell, I ask "How would dad think?" When I estimate, I ask "How would mom think?"