Pollyanna handed a glass half full of water to Michael. “Let me know if you’d like more,” she smiled.

“Well, when I asked for a glass of water, I didn’t expect one that was half empty,” Michael groused.

So, is the glass half full or half empty? How you see it says a lot about your take on life. And because our personal lives spill into our business lives, that perspective influences how you communicate.

It’s not easy to change the rooted response we have to certain situations. But if your initial response is more half empty than half full, you can turn that around.

Does a Glass Half Full Go Against Science?

Scientists love doing studies. And when humans are the subject, the results are fascinating. Several studies point to a negativity bias where we tend to focus more on negative experiences. Not only do we focus on the negative, we wallow in it.

A TED Talk presented by professor and social psychologist, Alison Ledgerwood, offered some interesting examples. The Talk is only 10 minutes long and you can also download the transcript.

The presentation took place a decade ago, but one example reminded me of the events surrounding the pandemic.

Timely Calculations

Researchers told participants to “Imagine there’s been an outbreak of an unusual disease and six hundred lives are at stake.” Next, they separated the participants into two groups and asked the following.

• First group: “If a hundred lives are saved, how many will be lost?”
• Second group:  If a hundred lives are lost, how many will be saved?”

The interesting result? The first group took 7 seconds to calculate the answer. The second group who converted losses into gains took 11 seconds to calculate the answer.

Along with Professor Ledgerwood’s other examples, the results demonstrate how negative experiences stick in our heads longer (and more persistently) than positive ones.

Like our view of the world today.

The Glass Half Empty Impact

So, what difference does it make if you’re a half full or half empty kind of person? Let’s look at an example of a half empty outlook.

A recent Shark Tank show featured an entrepreneur with a unique product. The Sharks loved it. One problem. The narrative from the entrepreneur was not positive.

• The entrepreneur was $1 million in debt.
• She had not made payroll that day.
• And she expressed how tired and beat up she was.

Her pitch had taken a turn toward all the negative experiences instead of her incredible product. As one Shark expressed it, “It’s almost like you’re negotiating against yourself.”

Don’t Tip the Glass

Before we tip the glass too far one way or the other, it is important to recognize balance.

• Too much fullness drowns out reality.
• A shot of reality may be just what the situation needs.

In my insurance career days, I acted as a facilitator for project meetings. In one of those meetings, we had the following departments represented.

• Sales
• Underwriting
• IT
• Customer service

If you ever organized a group from those departments, you may have thought you were herding cats. Each was fiercely independent with claws that came out when forced in a direction they did not want to go.

The underwriting representative was particularly vocal – typically saying, “We can’t do that.” Over and over again. Yet his input had value. As a facilitator, I had him explain why he felt the approach would not work. It was up to us to tweak the solution or to dismiss it altogether.

On the other hand, who hasn’t felt the urge to strangle the Pollyanna of a group whose approach silences reality?

Balance is a shot of reality mixed with an open mind.

The Glass Half Full – Half Empty Point

Whether you view that glass as half empty or half full, the point is the fact that there is a glass. That glass represents opportunity. Be open to different ideas and thankful you have a glass to fill.

Here’s a toast to your success. Pour out your thoughts in Comments. Okay, I’m done with the poor puns. 🙂

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Credit: Bigstock Photo
Credit: Canva

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Helping you keep your business communication simple, clear & uniquely yours.

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This post originally published on August 15, 2010. This January 16, 2024 version updates it.

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