Despite what others may tell you, I’m the eternal optimist. The glass is always half full, and anybody can become President of the United States if they study hard and eat their Wheaties. I prefer to see things for what they can be instead of shooting down ideas before they’ve had time to fully ripen.
That being said, I’ve been doing what I do for a good long time now. And I’d like to think that I’m pretty good at it. I’ve worked in the crappy conditions (physical, financial, philosophical, and any other -al you can think of) and walked away with a very healthy understanding of what works and what doesn’t.
Inherent in all that pesky experience comes a perception of cynicism. I am, at times, rather critical of my team, products, ideas, and so on. But never, ever is it meant simply to be insulting or non-constructive. Rather, I’ve earned the right by doing what I”ve done to make the assessment of success/failure for a given concept or product. And, blissfully, more times than not I’ve been 100% spot on.
Lots of people, and I’ll include myself somewhat, have a hard time hearing reality. And there’s an abundance of CEOs who want to hire free-thinkers who they secretly want to be YES-men. Or, worse, they expect someone to bring in all the buzz words they read about in self-help books for entrepreneurs. Generally speaking, if you’re going to “think outside the box,” “raise the bar,” or (my fave!) be able to really “sell the sizzle,” I want nothing to do with you. Please don’t use buzzwords in place of actual viable thoughts and ideas. I’d much rather the smart person without the idea, then the eager go-getter with a mouthful of jargon.
So – back to cynicism. Pay attention to everything around you that works, that you’ve done, and that you’d like to see in the marketplace of your choice. Look at yourself and your work critically (but not destructively). The true cynic (not some self-proclaimed expert/blowhard) may mock you for your efforts, but only if you’re not properly prepared or lack the virtue your ideas require. The cynic is your best friend.
