June Dinner with Victor Perton 'Building Optimism in the Midst of Crisis '

Back in 2018, I interviewed Margaret Gardner AO on her insights into Australian Leadership. Margaret had said this,

“All leaders have ambition. However, I’ve never gone anywhere, I wasn’t fundamentally committed to what the institution was or could be. That has driven me. This gives me a passion for what I’m doing. The passion comes from caring about the outcomes for the institution. I am an optimist like most leaders; that goes with the territory. If you weren’t an optimist, I think you’d give up.”

That is our new governor, one of the most powerful women in Australia and one of our best leaders, on optimism. So the point is — if you weren’t an optimist I think you would have given up.

Profound author Umair Haque in his thoughtprovoking article, Why the World Is So Pessimistic: How Disconnection — And Misconnection — Are Driving Our Civilization Crazy, wrote this, "There's a tsunami of pessimism sweeping the globe."

Haque asserts that this worldwide pessimism is evident across many aspects of society. According to him, one primary reason for this pessimism is the widespread loss of belief in key institutions and values; from religions plunging into fundamentalism to the surge in nationalism and declining trust in systems and institutions. There is a clear global trend of people searching desperately for something to believe in. Despite these worrying trends, Haque proposes that optimism lies in rebuilding lost connections. Human beings need their lives to have meaning and purpose, they need a connection to timeless and enduring values that outlast and came before us. Therefore, the path to optimism lies in reconnecting with each other, ourselves, timeless values, and nature.

"Are The Kids OK?" is the provocative question posed by Dr Quentin Maire, Nadishka Weerasuriya, and Associate Professor Jenny Chesters in their University of Melbourne Life Patterns research project 2022, which surveyed Year 11, Australian students published recently. The results revealed a palpable sense of pessimism amongst the respondents: fewer than half felt optimistic about Australia's future, and a mere one in six expressed confidence in the world's future. In fact, over half of the students (53%) were pessimistic about the world's future, echoing a prevailing sense of hopelessness when contemplating the fate of their generation worldwide. Similarly, 14.4% of participants expressed pessimism about their personal future, with 29% feeling the same about Australia's future and the fate of their generation.

And just last month, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews described Victoria's workers' compensation system as 'fundamentally broken', with the unsustainable cost of claims of "stress" and "burnout", thus bringing on a crisis. Minister for WorkSafe, Danny Pearson, highlighted that when WorkCover was introduced in 1986, mental health claims comprised 2% of claims. He said that figure was now 16%, and those claims accounted for 50% of WorkCover's cost.

What could be driving the marked rise in stress and burnout claims? What factors might lead to so many Victorians to experience burnout or stress to the point of being unable to work? Is this problem unique to workers in Victoria or Australia?

Deloitte's 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey reports that stress and anxiety levels remain high, highlighting the same sentiments of pessimism and stress among young people. Surveying 22,000 Gen Z and millennial respondents across 44 countries, the study revealed low optimism regarding economic and sociopolitical situations. Work pressures were identified as a major driver of burnout among Gen Zs and millennials. Approximately 52% of Gen Zs and 49% of millennials reported feeling burned out. The results showed that 36% of Gen Zs feel exhausted all or most of the time, 35% feel mentally distanced from their work, and 42% often struggle to perform to the best of their ability. Similarly, the numbers were nearly as high among millennials. Approximately 46% of Gen Zs and 39% of millennials reported feeling stressed or anxious at work all or most of the time.

Why is it so? Why the fog of pessimism? What's the role of contemporary news services in raising stress and anxiety levels?

I first met Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Singapore's Senior Minister & Coordinating Minister for Social Policies ) during the Australian G20 Presidency. I admired him instantly for his thoughtfulness and wisdom. This speech he gave at the Singapore Management University caught my attention:

"Creating bases for optimism has to be our central task everywhere in the world and through global collaboration. We must create bases for optimism to see ourselves through this long storm and to emerge intact; emerge a better place, and it can be done."

Mr Shanmugaratnam, acknowledged that the loss of optimism is a global issue and calls for international collaboration to restore hope.

Crisis in Australia

In today's Australia, "crises" are ubiquitous. Everyday, the news media reports on an ever-growing list of crises, from Australia's Growing Drug Crisis to the Cost of Living Crisis; from the Mental Health Crisis to the "General Practitioner (GP) Crisis; to the Skills Shortage Crisis and the Climate Crisis

In recent times, we have heard about the Rental Crisis, Mortgage Affordability Crisis, Construction Crisis, and a Banking Crisis. There is a growing crisis of overwhelmed hospitals, and an Aged-care Crisis, while Alice Springs is at a "crisis point" due to youth crime and violence at school. It has even been reported that our elites are in crisis, too, “Bar associations in Australia are facing a profound crisis." Given the number of crises, I am surprised we don’t have a crisis manager skills shortage crisis!

The Oxford Dictionary defines a crisis as "a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger." In societal or national affairs, a crisis refers to an event or situation that jeopardizes or considerably disturbs a society's or country's regular operations. It demands an urgent and often collaborative response to avert further harm or loss. Are these crises? Can these problems be solved "urgently"? Can they be framed as opportunities? Compared to the troubles of the people of Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, and Ukraine, are these crises at all?

Understandably, constant exposure to the reporting of crises can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and despair. Superimposed on this is using the word 'broken' to describe government systems. The Home Affairs Minister referred to the migration system as 'broken', and the Victorian Shadow Minister for Education described the child protection system as 'broken'. In a first-world country, are they broken, or could they be improved? We must seek higher standards of storytelling that generate action rather than pessimism leading to public policy paralysis.

People these days walk with noise cancelling phones, not being able to hear a thing, and cant hear when you greet them. Actually these days, hardly anyone you pass would smile and say hello… there use to be 3% of people doing that - today its zero…

So how do you raise the optimism around you? Perhaps by asking better questions and especially when greeting someone. In many countries and cultures, people routinely ask a question in greeting, “How are you?” In Australia, as in Ireland, France, Austria, and several other countries, on meeting up with someone, the answer most of the time is the double negative “not too bad” or “not bad.”

The next time you are in a position to interact with someone with a greeting, try replacing “How are you” with “What’s the best thing happening for you?” or whatever similar question feels natural. I guarantee 60% will respond and I am willing to bet that an answer like that will cause them to pause and ask you a very good question creating better engagement and, perhaps, making a new ally or friend.

Recently I shared this advice with a group of students at the University of Melbourne. One of the students kindly messaged me with "With mum, I asked her what the best thing was to happen to her today and she absolutely loved it. Has been a very refreshing technique to use indeed. She has taken it back to (the) Law School where she works and is finding it quite powerful to stimulate more meaningful conversations with her colleagues."

As we confront the challenges of our times, let us reframe our mindsets and interactions. Instead of mundane greetings, let's ask each other, "What's been the best thing in your day?"

Instead of succumbing to pessimism, let's actively engage with proven exercises such as activating our "Optimism Superpower" and envisioning our "Best Possible Selves".

When faced with planning meetings that tend to be negative, let's shift the narrative by asking, "What makes you optimistic?" instead of dwelling on concerns that 'keep us up at night.'

In conclusion, while matters and problems are serious, it's essential to remember that they are not insurmountable. With the right mindset, approach, and resources, we can tackle our society's problems and reframe them as opportunities to improve and create a better future for everyone.

Thank you, Victor Perton, for enlightening us on the importance of staying positive and being optimistic in the midst of crisis.