All Things Workplace - Latest Comments in All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Steve Roesler — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:15:00 -0000

Peter,

Yep, I get your take on this.

My intent in the post was to show that if, as managers, we want people to follow us, then "survival today" will work for some period of time. The human condition is intent on knowing that there is a better day looming over the horizon--and why that is so.

I always figured that Columbus was telling his men all of the possibilities of what lay "just over the circle" while they were throwing up into what they thought was a flat sea.

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Steve Roesler — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:06:35 -0000

David,

When you get into the present and start doing what needs to be done, what emotion does it elicit?

Hope as an unsubstantiated lifestyle is, indeed, a trap. Hope as the result of experiencing or seeing what is actually possible would be a springboard to more action for me.

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Steve Roesler — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:01:30 -0000

Beth,

I'm following your thinking (I think:-)

The value that one offers is deemed valuable when it prompts a sense of hopefulness that something will be better as a result.

Value propositions are facts; without eliciting hopeful feelings, they remain just facts. The person who is able to tie the two together, wins.

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

peter vajda — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:23:42 -0000

Hi, David, (wasn't able to "reply" so I'm commenting)

Your point resonates well with me. I often see in my clients, and others, their (often unconscious) use of hope as a way of procrastinating, as an "excuse" to not engage self-responsibly in forwarding the action of their lives...of paralysis...of leading a "Peter Pan-type" existence, in a lack of conscious self-management.

One antidote to this is a paraphrase of an expression my mother taught me when I was very young and still adhere to today: "Pray as if everything depended on God (Spirit, The Universe...); work as if everything depended on you." A nice "balance" of energies. Brings one to consciously and responsibly focus on the "now" and surrender/trust at the same time. After all, the "future is just a series of billions and billions of "nows". Take care of the now and you take care of the "future".

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

David Zinger — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:06:42 -0000

Steve:
I wonder sometimes about hope. From an Eastern perspective hope is sometimes seen as a trap to the future taking us away from the present. At times when I become hope-less I am able to dwell more in the present and see what is needed to be done right now. Being hope-less sometimes brings me right into today much stronger than hope. This may seem a bit extreme but I can get so caught up in a hopeful future that I don't do what is necessary for today.
David

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Beth Robinson — Thu, 29 May 2008 08:33:11 -0000

I can think of all sorts of ways that my activities are structured to give myself something to hope for as well as simply something to do, but had to stretch myself further to come up with ways they offer hope to others. In a way, this question is a conceptual step beyond how are you offering, or how do you plan to offer, value? That one I can answer. There's overlap in the two questions but they aren't exactly the same. Thanks for the question.

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Wally Bock — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:40:21 -0000

Congratulations! This post was selected as one of the five best business blog posts of the week in my Three Star Leadership Midweek Review of the Business Blogs.

http://blog.threestarleader...

Wally Bock

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Steve Roesler — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:25:43 -0000

Very kind, Robyn. Am going to think on that.

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

RobynMcIntyre — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:31:29 -0000

I love the way you communicate ideas in such a succinct, clean way, Steve!

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Steve Roesler — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:32:08 -0000

Peter,

This is a meaningful addition to the (very brief) post; it fits well, too, with Nesh's observation about the importance of fulfilling the hope.

People are very forgiving. However, too many promises unmet lead to loss of trust and the ultimate inability to offer vision and hope. The connections are clear, eh?

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

Steve Roesler — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:16:57 -0000

For sure, Nesh. I suppose I was making that assumption.

I got into this train of thought after watching a very successful executive do some much-needed trimming of fat as well as sorting out other cost factors. The employees involved understood the need for this. But then, I began to watch a visible drop in morale and engagement. It was palpable.

The reason? He offered very good solutions for today but hadn't yet painted a picture of what the future might hold once the necessary actions were taken. So, the people began to operate at a very gut level and express a sense of "hopelessness" for what lay ahead.

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

peter vajda — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:12:24 -0000

Hi, Steve,

For me, hope cannot exist without trust. So, what supports and what limits trust in the workplace inter-relationships you mention? That's the question for me. Hope without trust is a "faux", unsustainable hope, hope lacking a foundation, and one that is largely fear-based. The kind that has people wringing their hands "hoping" but with little to no trust that they will realize their vision...often a vision that is simply vapor...seldom a reality.

So, when it comes to shareholders, management-direct-report relationships, employee-leader relationships, "the gap", the "void", what allows me to trust that all are, in fact, in deed, not just in concept, consciously, sincerely, honestly and self-responsibly working towards collective, shared visions, goals, and outcomes? When I am trusting, and feel you are trustworthy, then my hope is built on a solid foundation, is more positive and palpable, and feels truly supported and grounded , and not so much as an anxiety, fear-based energy, that makes me feel disoriented, unsteady, doubting and, deep down, as much despairing and frustrated as hoping, seesawing back and forth.

Re: All Things Workplace: Do You Offer Hope?

nesh thompson — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:34:26 -0000

Hi Steve,

I certainly think hope is certainly a sentiment that is shared by many at the beginning of any venture. I would go as far as saying that every prospect you have has that same hope in solving their problems, though I think the best way to build that bridge to the client is fulfilling that hope into realisation.