I Can Do It! - The Value of a Positive Self-Statement

The Second in a Series of Blogs on Entrepreneurial Resourcefulness based on the Rosenbaum Model

Note to the reader: In the first in our series on Entrepreneurial Resourcefulness, it was pointed out that entrepreneurial resiliency is most effective if an individual has developed strong resourcefulness skills.  According to Rosenbaum, resourceful individuals:

1. Apply positive self statements

2. Have a repertoire of problems solving skills

3. Can delay small rewards to focus on the present challenge

4. Recognize that positive change takes considerable effort.

In this series, we will explore the significance of each of these skills as they apply to real world entrepreneurial situations.  We begin by discussing the value of a positive self statement.  

“I can do it” are four simple words, but when strung together like this, they can send an extremely powerful message that can make the difference between strategically undertaking something truly important to you or not being in the proper headspace to tackle it or simply opting to pass on it.

In an educational application of Rosenbaum’s model, the value of a positive self-statement can easily be seen in a test or exam situation.  As a student reads a difficult open-ended test question for example, at first the exact way to answer the question might elude the student, immediately resulting in an escalation of stress.  If the student succumbs to the stress, the student will not likely attempt to answer the question or will answer in an unthinking random way. In this scenario there is no reduction in stress, in fact it continues to build in subsequent questions, leading to poor performance.  The alternative is to say to oneself, I’ve got this, or I can answer this, and step back for a few seconds, anchor yourself, take a deep breath and begin to break down the problem into workable components.  The act of believing you can solve the problem immediately, decreases stress clearing the way to assess the resources available to strategically tackle the problem.

In entrepreneurship, the problems we often tackle do not have the immediacy of an exam situation (but crisis or quick-thinking situations of course occasionally do occur). More often it comes in the form of a burning desire to initiate a new start up idea, address a problem that has been festering or making a change that could potentially improve the situation. Believing that you can solve a problem that you’re facing, undertake a new project, or improve the way things are currently done is synonymous with the spirit of entrepreneurial resourcefulness.

Believing that you can meet a challenge can be thwarted by either external or internal factors. 

Consider this external scenario:

“When I first acquired this company, I carried out extensive research. It led me to believe the business was targeting the wrong customers with a poor sales model. I redefined the target market and personas. I built new models, and pitched it to my senior staff, most of whom had been with the company 25 plus years. They fought me for months over it, telling me it was a terrible idea and that I didn't understand the business. So, I backed off, I second guessed myself - wondering what I was missing.  It turns out I was correct and proved it through many experiences since acquiring this business. I'm now revisiting exactly what I should have done over a year ago. I should have trusted myself. We’ve lost on several opportunities this year because of this delay.”

This story demonstrates just how debilitating a lack of a positive self statement can be. Here’s an individual with a proven business track record, who has done the due diligence in carrying out research, analyses and model building that clearly indicated change was required. But when faced with opposition that questioned his credibility, his positive self-statement disintegrated. The “what am I missing” statement is an admission of self-doubt and in this case was incongruent with reality of the situation.  It led to a period of paralysis which was not much different than the student in an exam situation grasping at random possible answers.

It's not to say that one should totally disregard the advice of others when it is in opposition to your perspective. Instead, it is important to evaluate the veracity of the feedback provided.  If it completely flies in the face of your understanding of the situation, then be skeptical. But in most cases negative input likely has some basis in reality, and in those situations, it is helpful to develop ways to integrate these perspectives into your approach. But the bottom line is that if you truly believe that you are experienced enough, adept enough and agile enough to meet the challenge, you will have the confidence to integrate an appropriate amount of feedback with out losing sight of your goal.

Internal factors stem from one’s own experience. As an entrepreneur you put a huge amount of yourself into your business.

One entrepreneur described his experience in this way.

“Running a business, you’re going to get punched in the gut. It will hurt your ego especially when you visualize a particular outcome from the work you put in. It’s a very bad feeling. Sometimes it will make you feel like giving up.”

Entrepreneurship is filled with risks.  The likelihood of failing at some point, at some aspect of your business is quite high.  It can be discouraging; it can be difficult.  And it can cause you to doubt yourself. After experiencing a “gut punch” as described above, it can generate self-doubt when new challenges arise. It can limit the belief in yourself and the belief in meeting the challenge, unless you treat every failure and every situation as a learning experience. 

“Don’t fear failure; you’ll often learn more from it than from early wins. I’ve always believed that challenges are valuable opportunities for growth. They push us to evolve, strengthen our confidence, and refine our sense of self. There’s truly no better teacher than experience.”

By asking yourself what I could have done differently to improve the outcome, to deliver better quality, to create greater customer satisfaction, and to figure out ways to implement positive change (whether it be in large or small increments) teaches you to have what it takes to overcome failure or mediocrity.  You are stronger and more capable because of this experience.  And with all this comes a more positive self-attitude that is truly internalized which will prepare you to meet your next challenge with the mindset needed to most effectively recognize and use the resources available to you in the best way possible.

And now that we recognize just how important having a positive self statement is, in the next blog in this series we will explore the repertoire of problem-solving strategies that can be applied to meet a challenge.

Endnote: I would like to thank EDGE community members Oshea Williams, Krista Parsons, Steve Ko, Trevor Snooks, Ishan Shelwan, Nahgeib Miller and Pawel Biedrzycki for sharing their stories about the value of positive statements. Also thank you to Maureen Reed for her insights and guidance into the significance of Michael Rosenbaum works.