Issue #141: Hope on the Ropes
Sept 21, 2007
THRIVE! Talkin'!Don't just read the newsletter, live it!Jump into the THRIVE! forum and get set for success!  Hope on the RopesMatthew Poepsel, LeftBrain/Co-FounderIf you look at my desk, you'll notice that two very different books are sitting curiously side-by-side. (You'll also notice that I need to water my plant - but don't look at that, focus on the books.) The first book is titled "Hope is Not a Strategy" and it's written by super sales guru Rick Page. The second is "Putting Hope to Work" by coach/consultants Harry Hutson and Barbara Perry. What makes these books so interesting is that they each have a very different perspective on that crazy little thing called hope. "Hope is Not a Strategy" takes the central position that hope is something soft and no substitute for real action. Page writes, "Hope is what you do when you have no control. But a strategy is made up of actions and tactics that convert visions to results for those that can make things happen." He observes that in his area of expertise, too many salespeople hope to be successful without actually doing the things they need to do to actually become successful. It seems that Page isn't alone in his negative slant on hope. A quick scan of historic wisdom offers the following: "He that lives upon hope will die fasting." "Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man." "The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds." Yikes! I can't speak for you, but I know that in my life, hope for a better tomorrow is a key motivator for me. I like to think about something I want to become, or do, or have, and I stop to enjoy that thought. Would Page call me a Pollyanna for thinking this way? Maybe. Would Nietzsche mock my unbridled optimism? Most definitely. (That guy's a real downer, after all.) Fortunately, I can also find those who support hope as easily as I can those who cast it aside. In "Putting Hope to Work", Hutson and Perry define hope as "an act that generates movement toward a shared, desirable future". Aha! Now, that's what I'm talking about. Hoping is active. Hoping motivates. It's a key contributor in building a better tomorrow. Again historic wisdom offers more clues: "While there's life, there's hope." "Hope is necessary in every condition." "Hope totally rocks." So how do you look at hope in your life? Is hope something you drive out of your mind since there's no point in hoping for something that's probably not going to happen? Is hope something you discount versus real action? Or do you see hope as something that helps you get out of bed in the morning? It seems that even the experts recognize the balancing act that is hope. Rick Page goes on to explain his "Hope is Not a Strategy" mantra, saying that "The title of this book was chosen to accentuate the difference between positive attitudes and positive actions and the flaw of counting on one without the other." Now that I can see. A positive attitude alone isn't enough, but it is a wonderful thing - a necessary thing - on your way to a larger success. Ben Franklin, we know, was a formidable optimist. You can't accomplish all that he did without hope. And Nietzsche? Well he was always a jerk. The way to succeed, then, seems to be "Hope first, then act.". I hope you agree. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to water my plant. |
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Coaching Quickie: Hope on the RopesWhat role does hope play in your goal achievements?Follow the link above to vote for your response. While you're there lend us your feedback, or share some goals with fellow readers. Check back next week for results! Last Week's ResultsCoaching Quickie: Preparation H |
