We are all used to the idea of positive thinking as a problem-solving and coping mechanism but could there also be a benefit in negative thinking? Negative thinking equates to the nagging thought that we all have at one time or another that, in a given set of circumstances, the worst might happen. Sometimes this fear arises in a situation over which we have no control: Fear of flying being a classic case, where the safety of a commercial flight on which we are a passenger is beyond our control. Sometimes however the fear arises in a situation that we can control, and it is in these situations where negative thinking can be a positive benefit if we listen to the voice in our head.
Say we are driving past a bus stop just after school finishes. A group of kids are larking about on the pavement. What is the worst that could happen? One kid jostles another off the pavement and into our path. In this case we have control and the negative thinking, if we act on it, will prompt us to slow down and perhaps drive a little wider of the pavement than we might have otherwise. In this situation the sunny optimist might run smack into trouble but the person thinking in a negative way might, if he or she listens to that nagging thought, just avoid the worst case scenario that they fear.
When you look after Schools and in many cases, the people within, you have a lot to potentially worry about. What if the alarms go off…… and it’s a real fire; what if somebody falls and breaks their (insert any body part here); or the pitches flood; the keys get lost; a child turns up in tears and there are no parents to be seen; the customers arrive and it’s double booked………!
In reality it’s all part and parcel of the job. As a Venue Manager I have to ensure the team of staff I deploy can plan ahead to avoid things, be well trained in dealing with safeguarding and emergency procedures; and most of all be confident they know what to do when the worst does happen. I often hear people say to me that, having heard how much training we give our staff, it seems a bit extreme. Not me. I believe having control and confidence wins the day.
We may not be brain surgeons, airline pilots or bomb disposal experts but preparation and training is just as important to us as it is to them!
So negative thinking – in a situation where we have some degree of control – might not be so negative after all.
