Idealists and Realists
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In all communication and problem solving, people are seeking the ideal and assessing what is real. In the process, there can be differences of opinion and sometimes conflict. In general, there are two camps. The idealists shoot for the stars with grand ideas. In the process, they have to face the reality of what can be done with the time and money available. In contrast, there are the realists, who pride themselves as having their feet on the floor and will want to see each step planned, costed and organized.
Therefore, in your problem solving, how do you work with both the idealists and the realists, and those who may have elements of both? Indeed, are you more of an idealist, or more of a realist? How do you link between the two, in terms of what you ideally want, and what you regard as realistic? Idealists will usually have a solution in mind, albeit often framed in general, rather than specific terms.
Therefore, it is important to have a focus on the enquiry and the diagnosis phases for any proposals that they have. They may find this restricts their impetuosity, but it will ensure that solutions have a firm footing in reality, as the organization arrangements need to be put in place.
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William Booth
To make changes for the better, it is important to have ideals, which can be related to the reality of the world. A person who did this is William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. He had strong beliefs about right and wrong. But, rather than just preach his ideas, he developed a practical organization to help people who were in difficult situations. Indeed, he said rather than just founding an organization, it was necessary to have an army. Therefore, the Salvation Army has become renowned for its practical work to help those in need.
“While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while little children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end” – William Booth.
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Applications
With realists, it may be difficult at times to get them to see the possibilities and the future vision. Therefore, at an early stage, it is important to share the big picture, but indicate that you respect their need to tackle the tasks in a realistic way.
The aim is to establish a partnership where they can contribute and understand the wider picture. In the process, it can be useful to provide an easy to use visual aid, such as this matrix, to focus discussions on the issues that need to be covered.
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