Dare to be an optimist. That’s the spirit!
26 juli 2010
Good news is no news; bad news and warnings for coming disasters make the headlines. This is not new, but a reality throughout history, Matt Ridley explains in his book “the rational optimist. How prosperity evolves”. He eloquently shows how ‘a fresh crop of pessimists springs up each decade.´ He places Africa and the climate after 2010 in this tradition of pessimism. Ridley agrees that pessimists are right when they say that, if the world continues as it is, it will end in disaster for all humanity. However, the world will not continue as it is because the human race has become a ´collective problem solving machine´ and it solves problems by changing it ways. So the question should not be; can we go on as we are? But ´how best can we encourage the necessary torrent of change that will enable the Chinese and the Indians and even the Africans to live as prosperously as Americans do today.`
The collective intelligence of mankind has evolved through exchange, the swapping of things and services between individuals. Exchange encourages specialisation, which increases the different habits and knowledge the species could have, while shrinking the number of things each individual knows how to make.
The real problems the world is facing today demand economic progress, innovation and change. Scaling down, turning off the innovation tap, or going back to self sufficiency is no option.
I have read this book with pleasure, it has a proposition that sticks and it makes a substantiated case for taken on the challenges of our times sensibly and effectively. I fully agree that pessimism and fear are poor agents of change. What we need is optimism and the belief in the capability of humanity to make things work. Reading this book may be a valuable (fist) step to many. Lets embrace Ridley´s advice and dare to be optimists.
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Ik durf al 37 jaar professioneel optimist te zijn en de bank waarvoor ik werk en de onderwijsrelaties die ik service uit te dagen dat het altijd beter kan en ook moet. Of het nu gaat over de kwaliteit , klantgerichtheid, transparantie of verduurzaming van de bedrijfsvoering. Changemanagement ik kan er dus over meepraten vanuit de dagelijkse praktijk. De juiste spirit is één ding maar er zijn nog andere "game changing conditions nodig om de gestelde doelen te bereiken. Ik noem daarbij voor mij de belangrijkste: Geloofwaardigheid: Practice what your preach (and vice verva) en zorg dat iedere stakeholder involved is bij het veranderdoel. Een andere is het stellen van een gezamenlijk doel, waar voor alle stakeholders een win te behalen is. Stel het doel eventueel bij zodat iedereen die nodig is ook daadwerkelijk "aan boord" is. Bespreek hoe idereen erin zit. De weerstand zit soms ook in het feit dat mensen wel willen maar niet kunnen. Deze kun je helpen. En een enkele persimist is ook niet erg, dat maakt de uitdaging alleen maar groter om succesvol te zijn.