Using the Word, Hope

I use the word, hope. A lot. When I generally start an email message, it often begins with, “Hopefully this note finds you well.” If you are working on a project and you are either asking for help or sharing your progress, “hope” will be used somehow in my responses. “Hopefully what I have shared with you helps/will help you get (back) on track.” “…hopefully, you will find rewarding projects like this in the future.” “Hopefully,?you will share more of your insights with me again!” You get the picture.

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Do I overuse the word? I don’t think so. Why? Because, I know why I am using the word. I am truly hopeful that “you will feel better,” “you are happy about what you are doing,” that “my suggestions are helpful,” etc. Hope is not used freely by me. Personally, hope has helped me to feel better, to find my passion, and to listen to others to help me grow – personally and professionally. May it do the same for you.

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In 2022, Harvard Business Review (HBR) authors Katina Sawyer and Judy Clair found in their research that hope plays a more complex role in organizations. They found that hope is made up of three parts:

1. Organizational members need to have a shared vision for a hopeful future. That is, they must believe that it is possible to move beyond their current circumstances and achieve more desirable outcomes.
2. Organizational members have to believe that they know how to get to their goals, via methods and practices that they deem appropriate.
3. The organization must embody a shared sense of motivation toward their goals; when times get tough, hopeful organizations believe they have what it takes to weather the storm.

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As organizations emphasize using “hope” it helps employees to look forward and be reminded of the organization’s vision. The research also found that it helped bring the organizational culture positive results such as vibrancy and going beyond initial goal expectations. Finally, they found emotional contagion was a key driver in determining the hope culture on outcomes. When outcomes suggested organizational success or promise, emotional stories filled with hope emerged throughout teams.

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I will continue to use hope in hopes (see!) of bringing boundless optimism. Most of all to emphasize that I believe in you; I hope you are doing well; I hope you are doing something that brings you joy, and I hope my words and actions bring you hope!

Sawyer and Clair 2022 article: https://hbr.org/2022/10/research-the-complicated-role-of-hope-in-the-workplace