…the provocation of hope is usually that a person is in some kind of trouble. (Lazarus and Lazarus, 1994: 72)
A few years ago, I did some extensive research into arts and cultural organisations that were facing existential crises. I have to say it is quite sad to think how relevant that work has now become. I was trying to get a sense of what it was that enabled some to weather the storm and come out the other side while others continued to struggle or had to close.
One of the more surprising findings was about the role of hope, which I guess in hindsight seems like stating the obvious, but it was really helpful to see it illuminated so clearly. Hope is instigated by unfavourable life conditions; in times of trouble it is an important factor as it brings with it the possibility that things will get better.
To be genuinely rather than naively hopeful, you need to have a sense of agency and a means though which to achieve what is being hoped for that is to say it is concerned with what has been termed ‘willpower and waypower.’ (Snyder, 2002) This is an important distinction because it means that hope is more than simply wishful thinking. To come through this current crisis, we need to find the right pathways, and that means being able to adapt and be flexible. We need to be able to come up with alternative approaches should our original pathway fail.
On this basis hope is seen as something that allows for not only the setting of goals but also in determining the necessary resources to get there.
...a person with a strong sense of pathways thinking (i.e. one that recognises there is “more than one way to skin a cat”) is not stymied by obstacles but instead looks for alternative means to achieve a desired goal or outcome. (Luthans and Jensen, 2002: 306)
Those organisations I studied that survived their crises had the ability to identify future goals and to adopt alternative strategies for achieving them. Indeed, one gallery was prepared for the ultimate alternative in terms of the possibility of closing the organisation down and moving on to something new. It was arguably the most hopeful of all.
We wish you the opportunity to be truly hopeful during this extraordinary period. Susan will be sharing some thoughts tomorrow to help you think about the different pathways you might take to bring your hope to life.
Dawn & Susan
References
LAZARUS, R., S & LAZARUS, B., N 1994. Passion and Reason: Making Sense of Our Emotions, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
LUTHANS, F. & JENSEN, S. M. 2002. Hope: A New Positive Strength for Human Resource Development. Human Resource Development Review, 1, 304-322.
SNYDER, C., R 2002. Hope Theory: Rainbows in the Mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13, 249-275.