What is Pottsitivity?
The short – and rather curt – answer is that Pottsitivity is a made-up word.
But it is also one of the values on which I plan to build PottsMR.
The origins are fairly obvious. It is a fusion of two words: Potts, my surname, and positivity. But what does it actually mean in practice?
Over the past couple of years, many people have commented on my positive mental attitude as I've recovered from my brain aneurysm. But that positive mental attitude didn't suddenly appear two years ago. It's always been part of who I am, and, importantly, it's always been central to the way I work with clients and the way I approach market research.
For me, having a positive mental attitude isn't simply about being cheerful or looking on the bright side. It's much more practical than that. It's about a pattern of behaviours: being solution-focused, staying calm under pressure, remaining curious, being constructive with clients and colleagues, and approaching problems with the assumption that, somehow, they can be worked through.
Let me give you a few examples of what I mean.
We've all received that seemingly impossible brief from a client:
“I need this information, and I need it within three weeks for an important presentation to the Board.”
There are two ways of responding. You can immediately explain why it can't be done. Or you can stay calm, understand exactly what the client really needs and find a solution that gives them what they need, when they need it – while, of course, remaining within the realms of what is realistically achievable.
That's Pottsitivity.
It also means working with the right people. I want PottsMR to work with partners who have a genuine can-do attitude and who share the same values. If we're going to achieve things that initially appear impossible, we need to surround ourselves with people who instinctively look for solutions rather than obstacles.
Which brings me to a phrase I find particularly interesting: 'best efforts basis'.
It's seriously overused in our industry. Too often, 'best efforts' seems to mean: “That's probably impossible, but we'll see what we can do in the time available.”
I think it should mean something rather different.
It should mean: “We can't promise the outcome, but we will pull out all the stops to make it happen.”
There is an important distinction between the two.
Because, of course, market research projects rarely run entirely smoothly. Something unexpected nearly always happens. Recruitment is slower than anticipated. Someone on the client team suddenly needs an answer to a question halfway through fieldwork. An urgent topline report is required at the last minute. A senior stakeholder is unexpectedly in town and wants a debrief tomorrow.
These things happen.
Pottsitivity is about how we respond when they do.
Rather than panicking, becoming frustrated or focusing on why something can't be done, we stay calm. We ask the right questions. We make sure we genuinely understand the problem. We take ownership of it. And then we offer solutions.
I would probably summarise the difference like this:
Positive mental attitude:
Problem → curiosity → ownership → options → recommendation → action
Whereas a negative mental attitude can all too easily become:
Problem → frustration → blame → explanation → reasons it can't be done
There is an important caveat here. Pottsitivity does not mean unrealistic optimism.
There will be times when a good healthcare market researcher needs to tell a client that recruitment simply isn't achievable, that a proposed methodology is flawed, that the evidence doesn't support a particular conclusion or that a timeline isn't realistic.
Being positive doesn't mean saying yes to everything.
The difference is what comes next.
Rather than simply saying:
“I don't think we should do that.”
I'd much rather say:
“I don't think we should do it that way, and here's why. But I think we can achieve your objective another way.”
And that, ultimately, is what I mean by Pottsitivity.
It's a combination of optimism, intellectual curiosity, accountability and pragmatism. It's about believing there is usually a way forward, being prepared to take ownership of finding it and surrounding yourself with people who approach challenges in the same way.
It's how I've always tried to work.
And it's how I want PottsMR to work too.
