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My mom’s typical response to any suggestion or idea is, “Maybe. We’ll see.”
This retort was maddening to us as kids. We wanted clarity, conviction, and action – we wanted an instant “Yes!” Instead, we got hesitation, ambiguity, and uncertainty. But my mom’s “Maybe. We’ll see” bought her time to consider, assess, and reflect. Unbeknownst to us, it did something else… it fueled our hope. We proceeded with the hope that maybe just maybe, she would say “Yes!” to our request or idea. I didn’t realize how much I fed on that hope until I met a friend who doesn’t consider or explore ideas. This Debbie Downer consistently leads with an automatic “No” coupled with an excuse. Her deflating “No” makes me crave my mom’s “Maybe. We’ll see.” Because “We’ll see” kindles hope – there was always a possibility that my mom would say, “Yes!” In a recent study published by social scientist Shane Lopez Ph.D., hope drives 14 percent of the productivity in the workplace – more than intelligence, optimism, or self-efficacy. Based upon this research, Dr. Lopez identified five characteristics that make hopeful employees more productive. Hopeful people:
He then offered three basic steps for cultivating hope:
And that’s how my mom cultivated hope! She met our goals with “Maybe. We’ll see,” keeping the pathway to those goals open while forcing us to develop a contingency plan. “Maybe. We’ll see” may have exasperated us at times, but I’m grateful for growing up in a house of hope. It prepared us to be hope builders. © 2022. Ann Tardy and Mentor Lead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved. |