Successful Companies Strike a Balance


By Pj Germain


Optimists are more fun to be around; pessimists tend to be organizational wet blankets. Despite the essential truth, there is considerable evidence that pessimists possess a critical quality: the ability to see reality more accurately. This is why every successful organization needs a balance of optimists and pessimists. Bear in mind in your hiring decisions, as optimists do really well in certain kinds of jobs, pessimists in others.

For instance, when hiring for a job that requires persistence and initiative and brings frequent frustration, rejection and possible defeat, choose an optimist. Positions where optimists do best include:

> Sales

> Brokering

> Public relations

> Fund-raising

> High-burnout jobs

> Highly competitive jobs

> Creative jobs

At the other extreme are jobs that require people who know when not to charge ahead. These require a solid grasp of reality, something pessimists typically bring to the table. Areas in which people who are mildly pessimistic do well include:

> Contract negotiation

> Financial control and accounting

> Design and safety engineering

> Law (but not litigation)

> Technical writing

> Business administration

> Statistics

> Quality control

> Personnel and industrial-relations management

Similarly, if you have a talented individual doing a job for which he is temperamentally unsuited – say, too pessimistic for a job that needs an upbeat disposition, or vice-versa – the answer to your challenge may be as simple as a departmental transfer. Being aware and in tune with the personalities of those who work around you can be extremely helpful - especially when it comes to team building and generating successful win-wins!


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