Trusting optimism

Sales trend 8 from the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2019 is about the benefits for people and businesses of adopting an optimistic approach.

By guest author Victor Perton.

It is said that trust is in short supply in Australia. The Edelman Trust Barometer is trotted out in pessimistic speeches to suggest that Australian leadership is in a state of collapse. However, the Edelman folk are confused by their own findings. Given the current prosperity and wellbeing in Australia, with 25 years of uninterrupted growth, a presentation by Edelman suggested that the place in which Brand Australia had been most poorly sold is Australia itsel.

The global stereotype of Australians is of a jovial, plain-speaking and happy-go-lucky people.  

The evidence is there to suggest that stereotype is rooted in truth. We are typically in the top ten countries on global happiness indices. We are in the top 2-3 on the UN Human Development Index, the OECD Better Life Index and reports on urban livability.

So why the prevalence of reports suggesting trust is in short supply?

In my view, sections of the population have developed a pessimism about the country and the world which manifests itself as a lack of trust in our leadership. Generally, high levels of happiness and prosperity are associated with optimism. In Australia, it appears there is an optimism gap: People are optimistic for themselves and their businesses but otherwise pessimistic.

Recent studies by the Gates Foundation, Pew Foundation and Vodaphone Foundation have shown inexplicable pessimism about future careers for Australian children, the future of the country and the future of the world.

In the Pew Foundation report, it’s clear that the researchers are bewildered. While western countries are generally less optimistic than Asia and Africa, the report states “The dichotomy between recent personal experience and future expectations is strikingly evident in key countries. Per capita GDP on a PPP basis grew 56% in Australia in the last quarter-century.”

The PWC CEO survey for 2018 showed a level of dichotomy as well. PWC called the survey “The Anxious Optimist in the Corner Office”, reflecting their findings that CEOs are, overall, optimistic about the economic and business environment for the next 12 months despite the volatile political climate worldwide, big issues related to corporate behaviour and all the uncertainty caused by the rise of AI.

It is pleasing to see that the surveyed CEOs chose to focus on the opportunities available and not on fear and risks. However, for many people it’s very difficult to focus on opportunities, and who could blame them. We are continually bombarded by terrible news. Most media outlets and social media platforms are a non-stop machine of amplifying bad news, repeating them as often as possible.

And although it’s important to know what’s happening, we don’t need to be submerged in a sea of doomsday.

In my view, we need to do something about this! High levels of anxiety and diagnosed depression in Australia call for action. However, so far the action has been ever greater levels of prescription medicine and the growth of a pessimism industry – government agencies and charities feeding off reported anxiety and depression.

So, given the increasing trend of broadcasting the worst there is in the world and the cycle in which so many people and businesses find themselves in, I’d like to offer an alternative trend. What would happen if we tuned out the news for some hours during the day? What opportunities would open if businesses discussed what make their people optimistic?

The trend of continuing with the pessimistic outlook and bad news has been going on for decades. It’s time to do something about it for the wellbeing of our communities, the health of our businesses and the future of the planet.

Let’s trust optimism.

While creating my book, The Case for Optimism I encountered thousands of inspiring leaders who are optimistic and believe that optimism truly has the power to improve lives and organisations. And many of them have seen it happen already.

This trend sees smart companies adopting an optimistic outlook and optimistic language to become better businesses for their bottom line, better for their employees, and their communities.  

 Related topics

12 Sales trends for 2019 – Trust me, I’m in sales

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The power of optimism and opportunity for sales and business

The optimistic sales professional

A year ago (roughly)

Sales Trend 6 from the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2018: Moving CX & HX – really it’s all about people now