Stepping Toward the Unknown

I bet all of us know someone who consistently looks at a glass of water and says it is half-empty. They rarely, if ever, say it's half-full. And then there are those who do not want to rock the perpetual boat. They resist new ways because "it has never been done that way before." Possibly the most creative of these individuals are the ones who say new ideas cannot be implemented and then proceed to put forth a series of reasons. Some of their reasons are actually well-thought out while others are based on their own bias or conjecture. Either way, they, too, are resistant to new ideas and new strategies.

To be fair, there is comfort in pessimism. Maintaining the status quo does bring with it a certain peace of mind. And doing things the same way does have its advantages. At the same time, however, there is a downside to each of these. Creativity has a hard time finding a seat at such a table, for instance. Innovation does not even receive an invitation. And as far as things like improvement and progress go, if they happen at all it is by accident. Yet people who hang onto what they know and resist reaching toward what they do not are very much part of our lives. Fortunately, so, too, are those who are willing to step toward the unknown.

Communicators can play a key role in helping bring about advancement. Communicators can help those inclined to resist change muster up enough courage to step out of their comfort zone. Detailed research of a situation is one way to do this. Balanced analysis of people and situations is another. A core belief in the potential of opportunity, particularly as it applies to people and entities, is a third way. By devising logical and compelling explanations that are fact-based, communicators can help pessimists and, yes, even optimists feel better justified in choosing paths that are different from those they have traveled before.