1. The Glass
Evaluation

2. “
People look at a
partially filled
glass of water
in one of five
different ways.

3. Some look at the glass
as being half full
(the optimist)
Some look at the glass
as being half empty
(the pessimist)

4. Some look at the glass and think
“it doesn't matter ,
the water is going to evaporate
anyway or someone will probably
spill the water, etc.”

5. Some look at the glass and
think “this is great, there are
so many possibilities.
We should form a committee,
brainstorm and come up with
some great ideas.”

6. Some look at the glass, and
simply pick it up, fill it with
water and say “this is done.
What's next?”

7. While it might seem better to
be an optimist than a
pessimist, the reality is, if
you simply look at the glass,
it doesn't matter whether you
are an optimist or pessimist,
if you don't do anything,
it doesn't really matter.

8. 
The person who takes the attitude that it doesn't
matter because something negative will happen
tends to be an energy drain on everyone around
them and tries to hold others back

The person who thinks “this is great, let's discuss”
seems to be a very positive person but tends to tie
things up for long periods of time in committees
and discussions.

The person who simply fills the rest of the glass
and is ready to move on is very proactive.

9. When looking at these five categories, it
seems easy to determine which is the most
dangerous. It might seem the negative
person from the third group would be the
most dangerous but the reality is, while
they are somewhat of an energy drain,
they frequently get isolated and don't have
too much of an impact.

10. The dangerous group are the ones
who get excited about things and
then tie them up in committees for
long periods of time. They get
people excited, and the
expectations are great. Something
will happen at the start, and the
project will lose steam.

11. The proactive person from the
fifth group is the one who gets the
most done but it's important to
have someone to temper their
behavior. While they get a lot
done, there are times they take
the initiative before knowing all
the facts.

12. Knowing which category
people fall into will help you
to know how to manage them
better.
Knowing which category you fall
into can help you improve as a
manager and as a person.

13. The challenge is being
honest and objective
in your analysis.