CHAPTER 11

PESSIMISTIC

“Do you know what a pessimist is? A man who thinks everybody is as nasty as himself, and hates them for it.”

—George Bernard Shaw

In the movies the pessimist always gets a big laugh, but if you work with someone full of doom and gloom, you're probably not laughing. The pessimist demands your time, drains your energy, and clouds your critical judgment. Why the difference between the pessimist in the arts and literature and in real life? Why do these people who expect the worst to happen, who cry when others laugh, and who search for the dark side strike our funny bone? One reason is that we feel pessimists can't hurt us. They are harmless, weak, and to be pitied. We reach out to them with compassion: “There, there, it can't be that bad.” They are like frightened, foolish children, to be taken seriously only up to a point.

Pessimists speak our own unspeakable fears—fears so overwhelming that when we hear the words, we laugh, thinking it is the pessimist we are laughing at, when in truth we are denying our own anxieties.

It makes some people feel good to compare themselves to the pessimist. Life confronts us with a question such as, “What's the worst that can happen?” And we answer, “Nothing, not to me, but to the pessimists everything goes wrong. They ask for it.” But a little bit of pessimism in an environment filled with crazy, cockeyed optimists can be a good thing.

THE CASE OF RON AND THE GLOOMY GROUP LEADERS

Ron, a large, artfully balanced man of fifty, introduces himself as a machinist. He is polite, pleasant, and calm. His company produces high-precision components for the computer and medical industries. He oozes confidence and seems quite capable. We were able to pick up some of the stress in other people who came to see us, but Ron seems different. What could he possibly be concerned about?

Ron: I've come about my team. There are seven of us, all equal, and once a month we rotate into the leader's position. This month, it's me again, so it'll be all right. My problem is two of the team members. When it's their turn to be team leaders, the whole group goes sour. We manage to get out the work—most of the work, I should say—but we're all down. It's a strain, like working in low gear.

Kathy: That's a great description. What do you think is wrong?

Ron: I don't know how much you know about my field—tool-and-die people, machinists. We're not by nature the most optimistic people in the world. We're careful and believe only in what we can see and touch. That doesn't mean we're pessimists either.

Kathy: Do you mean two of your members are pessimists, and that's why the group goes sour?

Ron: I know they are pessimists. To them everything is going to go wrong. They believe that jobs will never be done on time, mistakes will be too late to be corrected, and someone's always bound to make a mistake. They are doom and gloom. I know their effect on us is bad. It rubs off. During the months they're team leaders, I come home feeling sad myself. Why is that? I didn't realize what they were doing to me until my wife mentioned something. She thought I was sick. Pessimism is contagious.

Kathy: Do they have reason to be pessimistic? Don't they like their jobs? The company's prospects? How about their health? Is there something you may not be aware of?

Ron: No, they are young, in good health. They're very good at what they do. Once I thought about it, I realized that they have always been this way. In the past, however, it wasn't so noticeable because we all worked pretty much alone. Since we've begun working in teams, their pessimism has become more obvious.

Kathy: It's clear what you're describing. Pessimism affects everything it touches. But what do you have in mind? Do you have a plan of your own?

Ron: I do. I'm convinced that the way to get around the pessimism is the way it appeared in the first place: within the team. I want to involve the whole team. Can you help? It won't be practical to bring the whole team here.

An individual's negative emotions—pessimism is one example—can impede the group process of a team. Remedies can focus on the individual or be directed toward the group itself. The solution recommended for Ron will be through the group. Situations of truly destructive behavior, however, such as out-of-control hostility, hyperactivity, or extreme withdrawal, can require professional help.

Kathy: No need for that. You can lead the effort to attack this problem for your team. Are you willing to be the group facilitator? That means you'll encourage people to express themselves, to be tactful and supportive, and to avoid blame. You will have to explain that the discussion of feelings and attitudes, based on the questionnaire I'll give you, is to help the team function better.

Ron: I have to do it.

Kathy: Okay, here's a true/false questionnaire that focuses on feelings and pessimism. Have each of your team members complete it and discuss the answers in the group. I'm not concerned with how deep-seated someone's pessimism may be, nor should you be. Permit the group to come to its own conclusion as to what's acceptable or not when the members meet as a team. You'll see that pessimistic behavior will not be acceptable.

We've indicated what we feel to be the preferred answers and explain why. Use those answers merely as starting points for discussion. Explain that their own answers are neither wrong nor right.

TEAM CLIMATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Here are the answers that we provided as starting points for discussion:

EXAMINING THE CLUES: WHAT THE ANSWERS MEAN

1. False. They are different kinds of personalities, and seldom can one turn into the other, even though most people can experience both kinds of feelings.

2. False. Feelings (emotions) have powerful influences on productivity and quality. Within a team those influences are even stronger.

3. True. Energy and high performance can be infused into a group by the optimism of a few key people. We see it every day.

4. True. The naysayers and predictors of doom can spark and magnify the small bit of uncertainty in all of us.

5. True. It's a reality. Research studies have confirmed that teams have a personality. They share beliefs and establish rules of the game. They may be enthusiastic or solemn, all related to the mix of people, their leaders, and the group's goals.

6. True. Any leader can affect the mood of the team, whether in a company, a sport, or even a country. Leaders influence productivity and morale.

7. True. Energy drives activity, which leads to effective problem solving.

8. False. Murphy's Law is the pessimist's invention. It's funny but not true.

9. False. Teams are supposed to help employees work smarter and quicker and discover better procedures and processes. Teams should enable you to produce more with the same input while learning new skills and protecting your future.

10. False. The sense of trust and friendship created within any team or group, whether in industry, education, religion, or athletics, is a powerful force for cooperation and effort.

As in many irritating, difficult-person interchanges, the primary goal is helping the person who has to deal with the problem. Deep-seated pessimism is seldom amenable to dramatic changes using a counseling or therapy model but can be modified within a group context.

Cracking the Case: How Ron Can Get His Team Out of the Dumps

Kathy: After your team members have discussed the answers to the true/false quiz, have them each fill out this next form [see the worksheet titled “The Pessimist's and Optimist's Reactions” on page 62], which is an exercise and a rehearsal for less pessimistic behavior. Please be careful not to point out your two pessimists. Everyone knows who they are, and it's better left unsaid. Once each team member completes the form, discuss the responses as a group. There aren't any right or wrong answers. This exercise does two things: It helps the group look at the problem without putting anyone on the defensive, and it makes clear the difference between the way pessimists and optimists see things.

Ron: Do you actually think these methods of yours will turn those guys around?

Kathy: If you mean will they suddenly become optimists, probably not. But they will be influenced to conform to the degree of optimism or pessimism acceptable to the group. You're not looking for the heat of summer or the ice of winter but rather the springtime of conciliation and teamwork.

Every organization has its own hot-button issues around which people have strong positive or negative feelings. The five set out in the worksheet on the pessimists’ and optimists’ reactions are general. Important group issues for your team may include concerns about diversity, sharing bonuses and rewards, sexual harassment, or performance reviews. We recommend that you take this format and develop statements that will reflect your company. Use ours if you wish, but it's best to tailor the items now that you know the method.

The pessimist who works alone may irritate coworkers, who can simply learn to avoid that person. That kind of easy solution—avoidance—isn't possible within a work group. Think of teams that are effective and productive. In those groups, positive qualities such as optimism, mutual dependence, trust, and support are reinforced. Negative qualities such as pessimism, extreme competitiveness, and cynicism are not tolerated.

If you must deal with a pessimistic coworker in a one-on-one situation, the techniques for handling this irritating behavior are different from the methods for a team situation. It is important to examine how the pessimistic behavior affects you. Try to look at the pessimistic person more objectively. The best technique for diffusing the pessimist in a nonteam environment involves fighting fire with fire. Try an in-your-face countermaneuver—doing what the pessimist is doing to you—a technique described in detail in the next chapter.

THE PESSIMIST'S AND OPTIMIST'S REACTIONS

Read each statement and then describe how you feel a pessimist and an optimist would react to each situation.

1. Your supervisor says, “If we all work on this final step in the process, we can get out of here by five and get the order out on time.”

The optimist thinks ________________________________________________________________.

The pessimist thinks ______________________________________________________________.

2. A coworker tells a friend that he's heard that next week will see the end of overtime. New people are being hired.

The optimist thinks ________________________________________________________________.

The pessimist thinks ______________________________________________________________.

3. A team leader says that rewards for any new techniques developed by the group will be shared equally.

The optimist thinks ________________________________________________________________.

The pessimist thinks ______________________________________________________________.

4. Management announces that it doesn't plan to relocate the plant.

The optimist thinks ________________________________________________________________.

The pessimist thinks ______________________________________________________________.

5. The team leader says that it is important that people trust one another and if someone has a good idea to share it with the group.

The optimist thinks ________________________________________________________________.

The pessimist thinks ______________________________________________________________.

What to Think

Pessimists cannot be dismissed lightly. Their outlook on life will make you less vigilant and lull you into accepting mediocre performance. Do not permit yourself to be seduced by the pessimist's point of view.

If a pessimist works for you, think this:

“Is it [the project, report, projection, field situation] really that bad? What information could have been left out or disregarded? Is the timetable correct?”

Then be aware that the pessimist is going to lower your standards, and you can't let that happen.

If you are a team leader, and a pessimist is a member of your team, as in Ron's case, watch out for two possible outcomes: a decrease in group performance and a decrease in your usual level of enthusiasm and energy. If you see that happening, think this:

“I'm getting contaminated; I'm being compromised. I must use the power of the team to help myself and the team.”

What to Do

It's important to distinguish pessimists from employees who are lazy, sloppy, or just plain incompetent. How do you tell the difference? Here are some clues. Most people know which of their coworkers are lazy, sloppy, or incompetent. They tend to provoke, annoy, and anger others. Pessimists, on the other hand, are usually acceptable. But their effects are subtle because you think they can't harm you.

Recognizing pessimists is the vital first step. They can masquerade as cautious, careful, and conservative employees, and you may never know they are pessimists at heart. For example, suppose a chain of departments must handle a project, passing information from one level to the next. You are a manager studying that process, watching for blips, trying to make the system more efficient. Time and again, you discover, information gets stuck in the same department and the smooth flow is interrupted. You might think, “They're being careful. It pays at times not to rush things.” Suppose next that you stumble across this book or a professional article about pessimism. “Can it be,” you muse, “that I've overlooked something?” Our advice? Get out there and see if you have a pessimist masquerading as a careful, conscientious employer.

Once you've found your pessimist, you'll see it's not a stupid or lazy employee but quite the contrary: a loyal, skilled, and good employee. Still, you can't afford to slow down the process of work. What do you do?

Put the pessimist at the end of the process, where worrying and extra caution can pay off. Pessimists can be good watchdogs. They'll look for trouble and errors where there may be none, but if errors are present, they'll find them where no one else might.

If tasks can be shared, pair the pessimist with an energetic employee and hope that a friendship develops. It's astounding what shared responsibility can accomplish.

If the pessimist is highly skilled—and many are—assign solo tasks and projects for which careful analysis is more important than quick response.

If the pessimist is a member of a team, as in Ron's story, you are lucky, because you can get the team to solve the problem by following our recommendations.