In many ways, these are mistrusting times. Fake news, scams, and hoaxes have littered the past decade. So perhaps it's not only understandable, but even healthy, to maintain a general air of skepticism. To doubt. To question. To dismiss. Some might even view such behavior as a sign of intelligence; poking holes in things can seem insightful whereas postulating possibilities can come across as naive.6 Indeed, research suggests that people often perceive skeptics to be cognitively superior. This despite studies demonstrating precisely the opposite.7 It's no wonder then that the skeptic can have such a powerful voice in our world and in our workplace.
But although healthy skepticism plays an essential role in effective evaluation and decision‐making, cynicism, its negative cousin, can be toxic. Perhaps you've seen this less desirable orientation play out in your teams or organization. The blunt naysayer shutting down discussion with a dismissive, “That will never work.” The snide Goldilocks sidebar chats undermining an idea for being too much, or too little, but never just right. Or perhaps even that critical narrative in your own head whispering, “There's no way you can do this.” Unfortunately, this kind of negativity can be contagious and counterproductive, particularly for ...
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