|
|
|
|
|
When was the last time you took a smart risk at work?
the greatest risk in life is to risk nothing.
Your Partner in Success,
Charmaine McClarie President, McClarie Group
Giving
Yourself the Gift of Presence in Life: The True Key to
Workplace Success The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing. Many times we are presented with an incredible opportunity and we freeze or even turn the other way to avoid the mere thought of the risk involved. Why? Risk is scary. Some say it’s our nature to fear risk. The potential for failure, the loss of credibility and even the fear of stepping into our own spotlight can hold us back. Risk can be a dreaded four letter word—but it doesn’t have to be. Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard, has been described in the press as fearless. She says she’s not fearless: to her, courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of fear. So how do we overcome the fear of risk-taking? The first step is to determine what type of risk you are facing: reckless risk, the risk of not risking, or smart risk. RECKLESS Risk Some risk—like reckless risk—absolutely should be feared. Speeding teenagers and Lindsay Lohan are examples of reckless risk. In the workplace, reckless risk can surface in many forms, from sending off a stinging email to a co-worker to becoming too much of the life of the party at a company function. Reckless risk is frequently associated with impulsive behavior, or compulsive behavior. What this tells us is that no one has done any kind of sensible assessment of the upside of this kind of risk—and that is usually because it is negligible in the long run. Rationalization is an essential component in reckless risk: we look for a 'good reason' for doing things that we know are not in our best interest. When you hear the voice that says "she asked for a reply, so I gave her an honest one" with the reactive email or "one more drink won’t hurt" at the company function, you’ve found the voice of rationalization. Most worrisome, reckless risk leaves the management of our careers to others. When we continually take reckless risks, we often get stuck in a downward spiral. When we don’t move up and forward in our careers, we have gotten so into the habit of rationalizing our actions, that we tell ourselves we aren’t responsible and play the victim. The RISK of NOT RISKING On the flip side of reckless risk is the risk of not risking, which should equally be feared, but for different reasons. Is it any better to be the wallflower at the company function who avoids talking to the CEO and goes unnoticed? Is it healthier to suffer incessantly from an email barrage from an unprofessional co-worker? In both cases, no. If smart risk is about courage, not risking is all about comfort. During these challenging times you tell yourself, “If I just hunker down, I will be okay. If I don’t do anything risky and it's just business as usual, I will come out the other side unscathed.” This is the false security blanket we wrap around ourselves, thinking not risking will protect us, when in reality, it may make us more vulnerable. Consider this. Recently I interviewed CEOs and Presidents and asked them what was needed to succeed in tough times. The consensus? Four things: Innovation, bold moves, taking smart risk and courage. The bottom line: if you’re not showing this kind of leadership in times like these, your job may be on the line—and that is one risk you do want to avoid. Employees that do business as usual are a liability and passively hand over their power and credibility. These employees’ talent and insight become well kept secrets. In the words of what is usually attributed to Leo Buscaglia, “The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.” SMART Risk That leaves us with one other risk option: smart risk. What is smart risk? It’s a step beyond calculated risk. If calculated risk is about thinking through the upside and downside of taking risk, smart risk takes it a step further. It’s about weighing the upsides and downsides in the short term and long term. It’s about considering the worst-case scenario and best-case scenario of any potential risk-taking situation, and being able to gain enough perspective to determine what the most-likely case scenario is apt to be. Perhaps most importantly, smart risk has an emotional component to it as well. It’s about being able to channel your courage to act rather than be paralyzed by your fear. What does smart risk look like? In an interview with the New York Times, John Donahoe, CEO of eBay, shared an analogy that describes the mindset of smart risk. He was sharing advice passed on to him by Kent Thiry, now the CEO of DaVita, when Donahoe was young in his career. Thiry equated risk-taking to the American game of baseball, noting how some of the best baseball players in the world don’t have batting averages of .900. In fact, they know that that to get those homeruns, they will also have to have some strikeouts, and they aren't deterred by these potential ‘failures’ that they will necessarily encounter along the way. If that’s the mindset, then smart risk behaviors can come in all different forms. It involves everything from daily actions like deciding to speak up in important meetings to career-changing decision-making, such as seeking out an international assignment or investing your savings in your own further education to help prepare yourself to come out ahead when the economy turns. How do you start taking SMART Risks? Get started by reading our Speaking of Success Tip below or watching a clip of Charmaine's keynote on risk-taking that is featured on our homepage. After all, there’s no time like now to starting acting on smart risks that will propel you forward in your career and in your life. “Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act.” -
Andre Malraux, French Historian, Novelist and
Statesman
To hire Charmaine for executive coaching, workshops or keynote speaking, visit us at: www.mcclariegroup.com.
Speaking of Success Tip #11: Six Simple Steps to Take For Smart Risk Step 1: Get crystal clear about your vision for yourself in any given situation. Steps 2-6: Then, ask yourself these five essential questions:
To learn more about
McClarie Group's SMART risk workshops, keynote speaking,
and coaching opportunities, contact us at: (323) 224-6820. |
||
|
|
About this newsletter. McClarie Group sends occasional newsletters to clients, colleagues and friends of McClarie Group with tips for turning your potential into power. If you'd prefer not to receive this information, click the link below.
McClarie Group
1930 N. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90031
|
|
