eKourier Jan 2012

The Sydney Basket Brigade Brings Christmas Joy to People in Need

What about if one is a Half-Full-and- Half-Empty person? Can you be both? Some time ago when I found some shortcomings in a new development we had done I was accused of being a glass-half-empty person. This shook me up a bit as I had never seen myself as being negative or pessimistic. It made me think. Yes it was a pretty good design and development, and yes there were some things overlooked, some design shortcomings. It was good, and it could have been better. My glass, I pondered to myself, was both half-full and half empty. “Both Creative and Critical are necessary, but by separating the Creative from the Critical both have their place and space.” Kennards Self Storage donated 500 boxes to the Sydney Basket Brigade again this year, to help pack Christmas hampers for delivery to those in need. Sharon Dux PA to MD People who are consistently glass-half- empty people are not a lot of fun to be around. They may be slow and reluctant to tackle new things, and they may miss opportunities. But they may also be the ones to see the shortcomings and the problems, they may be just what is needed at times. Consistently glass-half-full people on the other hand may be so enthusiastic that they don’t see the barriers, the problems more than 2 million people in 400 cities, across 74 countries annually. Currently they have ten Basket Brigade teams across Australia who help thousands of people every Christmas with food and toys. On Saturday the 17th December, over 500 volunteers from around Sydney came together in a warehouse in Mascot for the annual Sydney Basket Brigade Packing Day. These volunteers packed 5,000 Christmas hampers for people in need.

The Basket Brigade is the annual campaign to provide food and gifts for people that need a hand - children, the elderly, hungry & homeless, during the holiday season each year.

To date, hundreds of volunteers feed

Nevs Notes... Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

and the opportunities to do better.

So it could be that we need both the half-fullers and the half-emptiers to round out a team. And it may be that each of us can foster and develop in ourselves a half-full-and-half-empty attitude and bring both to bear on projects and situations. Another way to bring out both sides is to separate in the brain-storming and planning process, the positive and the negative. The Story Board Creative Planning Process emphasises this; it separates the Creative from the Critical. A ‘Meeting’, Mike Vance, the person from whom I learned about Story Board Creative Planning, is the worst way to get optimum results. A meeting typically combines the critical and the creative in one session. Creative ideas get squashed by critical ones. Both Creative and Critical are necessary, but by separating the Creative from the Critical both have their place and space. And so it can be with Half-Full/Half- Empty views and people. We need both.

P eople who see things risks, the faults or difficulties are said be ‘glass-half-empty’ people. It is more acceptable to be seen to be positive, bright and enthusiastic and to be a glass-half-full person. Glass-half-empty people can be less well-received, less acceptable. But is the half-full/half-empty split and dichotomy just a simplistic easy- to-quote saying that is really rather shallow. positively are thought to be ‘glass-half-full’ people. Those who see the negative, the

Nev Kennard

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Kennards Kourier Jan 2012