Is pure positivity the way forward?

I’m all for having a positive mindset.

Turning problems into opportunities, looking for the best and not being dragged into a negative spiral. All agreed. However problems do occur and the best thing to do is investigate them and fix them as efficiently as possible to avoid it happening again. Well, that is what I thought but this event I attended last night seemed to teach differently. It was based around the evolution of a new Six Sigma approach which uses the ‘Strength based approach’.

The core message of the presentation appeared to be always looking for the positives and strengths of a situation. If a problem arises the key is to not keep digging to find a problem. When we do this, it starts of a negative spiral of thinking which creates a negative mindset. Instead we should be focusing on what went right in the situation and how we can improve. This positivity and energy is what will always take us to the next level.

Needless to say, I certainly admired the approach. Any approach that attempts to create a positive culture deserves recognition. Furthermore I can understand that the benefits of improving a situation can outweigh the benefits of fixing a problem.

However, maybe it is because I am so wrapped up in our own methodology, but I still cannot get my head around this apparent abandonment of ignoring problem. Surely if a problem exists, it has to be investigated and fixed? You cannot just ignore the problem can you? I questioned the presenter on this and his response was that this was a ‘negative mindset’.

To me though, it does not have to be negative. Each month I present my KPIs to my team and if I have an undesired result for the month I will need to explain what happened. Do I feel negative during this phase? No. Quite the opposite. These are my KPIs and I feel empowered to deliver on them. If I have an undesired result, the team is interested in what happened but are far more concerned what I intend on doing about it. Fixing a problem does not have to be negative. It boils down to the mindset of the individual and the culture of the organisation.

Anyway, it was certainly a great little event and has clearly set off some racing thoughts in my mind. Crucially though, it has reinforced my belief in our own methodology.