Pragmatism is basically considered a virtue in the world of accounting, finance and consulting. But there is a risk of being too realistic and over-relying on how you’ve always done things.
My son, who works for a financial firm, shared his recent experience. A group of mid-level managers in that firm, leading a new initiative to expand the client-base, is displaying close-mindedness to new ideas from the staff. He mused, “I think you can become so realistic that you can’t see new possibilities.”
When staff observe managers and leaders squelching creative solutions they shut down. They think, “If the manager doesn’t want to hear my ideas, I won’t share them.” That manager just unknowingly cost the firm possibilities that can only be realized from having all brains in the game.
Are you a realist? Don’t get stuck in the predictable behaviors and solutions of the past. Listen to the dreamers around you.