Optimists tend to see the impact of GOOD events as widespread and permanent, BAD events as limited and temporary.
Pessimists are the opposite: they see impact of GOOD events as limited and temporary, BAD events as widespread and permanent.
The Exercise
Explanatory style
How do you see the impact?
Permanent <------> Temporary
Widespread <------> Limited
- Think of a good event that happened to you or your team recently. Did you use it as an opportunity to talk about how well things were going in general and how your team was making a positive difference?
- Think of a negative event that happened. Did you accept that it was a temporary setback but express confidence that success was still achievable?
- Reflecting on 1 and 2, what can you learn about your ‘explanatory style’? How can you shift it to a ‘tempered optimism’ approach?