Tag Archives: Negativity

What it’s Like to Work in a Successful Non-Profit Organization

Contributed article in our career series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Receiving an MPA online or Master of Public Administration is a rewarding achievement that can lead to a career of tremendous public service. Many of us were taught to go to college to work for a business solely for the purpose of making money. While there is nothing wrong with the desire to make money, MPA’s, on the other hand, are pressed for the desire to make a difference in the community and the world. There are many myths and taboos around the idea of working for a successful Non-Profit Organization that we will cover in this article.

Yes, you get paid to work!

A common misconception is the belief that people show up to work every day, out of the joy of their hearts, but don’t make any actual money when working with a Non-Profit. Everyone needs to pay their bills and feed their families, which is a reality of life, and this is simply not the case. Continue reading→

Which Dog Will You Feed? Choosing Our “Reality”

(Originally posted on ProjectConnections.com)

In 1995 I decided to embrace optimism as a strategy for creating possibilities. It wasn’t a rational choice, it was an intuitive leap of faith. My many years of education as a physicist had taught me to ignore my intuition, but logic was insufficient to overcome my exuberance. You see I’d just had my eyes opened by a truly gifted coach who’d helped me discover that the person holding me back my entire life had been myself. Once I recovered from the shock of that revelation I made a decision to use my enormous power to shape reality to create a more hospitable environment, starting with my own attitude. Continue reading→

The Power of Negative Thinking – Engineering Management in Reverse

img_1274.JPGMost of my work revolves around the power of creating breakthroughs through extreme optimism and hideously positive thinking for which “hyperbole” simply isn’t a big enough word. I frequently rant and rave about the hazards of know-it-alls who poo-poo every idea and wield their negativity like a scythe, cutting down anything new or imaginative in its path. But the popularity of negative thinking is undeniable, and, like most veteran business leaders, I’m a pro at it. I was reminded of this when I recently received a note from a guy I used to work for at HP who, after reading my book, mused “It seems a bit cynical. Is that intentional?” Jumpin’ Geezus on a pogo stick! Yes, of course it’s intentional! Any human being who’s been a manager in the corporate world for more than a couple of hours and hasn’t become a tad cynical simply hasn’t been paying attention.

Negativity for its own sake is an annoyance at best, and a soul-sucking experience similar to what I imagine a psychic vampire would produce. But in the right hands, it’s a weapon of mass construction, freeing the mind of half-hidden dark thoughts, and an on-ramp to the superhighway of results in your business. Jump in, strap in and hold on ‘cause we’re going to take the curves up on two wheels.

Negative Thinking is Easier, I’m Positive!
Perhaps due to some quirk of evolution and slight survival advantage (my apologies to the creationists out there), human beings seem to find it easier to think of things from a negative perspective. Don’t believe anything I say, of course; check it out for yourself. Continue reading→