Is the glass half empty or half full? That is a quick way to determine if someone is an Optimist or a Pessimist. It may not be very scientific but it does have some merit.

Optimistic type people tend to see the bright side of things and are more open to others and opportunities that present themselves. They tend to trust others more quickly and believe things will turn out positively.

Pessimistic types are more suspicious of other people’s intentions and tend to see the potential pitfalls in new opportunities. They have a more critical outlook and are more cautious.

Some jobs require a more optimistic outlook while other jobs a pessimistic type thinking. A financial comptroller should in most cases be a critical thinker and so he can spot the potential pitfall of an investment more quickly than a strong optimistic type.

An entrepreneur who wants to build a world class business will be faced with many hurtles and must remain positive in the face of these challenges to keep moving forward.

Ideally we want to have a good balance of optimists and pessimists in a team so that there is the drive to move forward with a good sense of caution and questioning of new opportunities. This will enable better planning and probably avoid costly errors.

The key is to have good collaboration and communication so that dialogue can happen effectively  especially on large projects that pose a lot of risk.

So take the test, is the glass half empty or half full?