Hope is not a strategy......or is it? Evidence suggests it might be one of the most important in a global crisis!

There is no doubt that we are living through one of the most challenging AND extraordinary times in history. The unfolding global crisis has highlighted so many of the inequalities that we have come to accept as just the way our world works.....and yet never before have we seen a catalyst that has enabled emerging and ground-up leadership to come together in a united purpose.

I am a hope researcher and so you may think that this is just my innate nature to 'look on the bright side' of life. But what I want to share with you today is some of the evidence of how hope may be our biggest ally .... and do some myth-busting while we're here!

Unfortunately, hope is often misunderstood. There is a perception that hope is just 'blind optimism' that things will turn out ok. The epitome of the Australian philosophy "she'll be right mate."

However, hope is not a spectator sport!

In fact, a significant body of evidence has demonstrated that hope is far more action oriented. The late and great Rick Snyder and Shane Lopez championed a surge in hope research in the last 30 years that shows that it is best conceptualised as a positive motivational state that is derived from goal-directed energy and planning to meet those goals. Or more simply:

Hope = WayPower + WillPower

Studies have demonstrated hope is associated with a range of adaptive and much-needed outcomes to address our current crisis, including:

• Positive problem-solving
• Wellbeing and vitality
• Motivation
• Physical health

But most compelling in today's environment is the emerging evidence that:

Hope is a key protective and enabling factor in predicting resilience.

A recent study that examined 7 adaptability factors demonstrated that hope was the only characteristic (ahead of strengths use, grit and control beliefs) that prospectively predicted resilience, especially in response to uncertainty (Goodman, Disabato, Kashdan, & Machell, 2016). 

This makes hope a critical construct to explore further as we navigate this volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world.

WillPower and WayPower

Hope is linked to specific goals that we want to achieve - not just a generalised belief in positive outcomes. This is more reflective of optimism, an important and related but distinct construct. Compared with optimism, hope is more focused on the self-initiated actions we can take to achieve our goals. The WillPower part of hope is fuelled by a sense that we can make progress towards those goals and enables persistence in the face of obstacles.

However, you can be highly motivated to move towards your goals, without clear strategies to achieve that (this is often what people think of when they think of hope). The WayPower part of hope is fuelled by pathways thinking that allows us to come up with a variety of different ways to achieve our goal. It encompasses divergent and creative thinking that broadens our perspective on the possibilities available and enables us to tap into resources. This is critical in terms of planning ways to overcome the obstacles that will inevitably and consistently show up. When WillPower and WayPower come together you have fluid and fast thinking, that creates a sense of energy, positive emotions and high coping (Snyder, 2002). This is a critical capability that can help us to adapt and respond in this rapidly evolving situation.

However, most of the research in hope to date has taken an individualistic perspective and as the last few months have demonstrated, this is not the reality we live in. We exist in a highly interconnected world, where the actions of one affect many. My research seeks to expand upon the current models of hope by taking a more systems approach that reflects our interconnected world. This includes examining the evidence for an additional two factors that empower hope - namely social connectedness (WhoPower) and a sense of meaning in our goals (WhyPower). In essence:

Hope = WhyPower + WhoPower + WillPower + WayPower

WhyPower and WhoPower

When we have a sense of meaning it facilitates our capacity to actively pursue long-term goals that can transcend narrow self-interests (Stegar, 2018). Never before has this been more important, as we need to unite together in a common purpose. WhyPower, or a sense of purpose, may be a key mechanism that facilitates the energy and persistence needed to face the challenges in front of us today; one that fuels our sense of hope.

Finally, this crisis has shone a spotlight on our fundamental need for social connectedness - both in positive and alarming ways. To think that we exist in silos is a significant risk factor in addressing the global challenge that we face. But if we tap into the innate part of our humanity that seeks to connect - our WhoPower - we have the opportunity to tackle this in innovative and enabling ways.

We know that the sharing of experiences is a key factor in building social bonds; allowing individuals to both soothe the experience of negative emotions that arise from stressful events (Smyth et.al, 2012), and tap into the knowledge and experience of others to help create pathways towards goals. We are already seeing this emerge in the global collaborations that have sprung up to share knowledge around accelerating the development of a vaccine; or the Couch Choir that has gone viral, lifting the spirits of so many. This makes WhoPower a key lever we can pull to enable a sense of hope that can help us to collectively work towards addressing this crisis.

Hope is not just wishful thinking for a better future. It is a key resource that we can leverage to emerge from this crisis with our spirits, our communities and our humanity intact.....or better yet transformed!

(yes, that's my 'look on the bright side' coming out!)

This article marks the beginning of a series that will shine a light on the stories of hope that are emerging as we respond to the COVID-19 situation. In our next article, we will highlight how hope has been used in the complete redesign of one of our our large wellbeing programs at the University of Melbourne, as we moved to a virtual campus. We'll also highlight the extraordinary work that one of our schools has demonstrated in enabling hope in our young people to design and address the many implications that are emerging. If you have stories of hope that you would like to share, please contact me so we can continue to build our generative capacity to adapt with innovation, compassion and a collective conscience in our current climate.