Taking Risks During Uncertain Times


Although change and transition can make even the most steady among us feel rocked, it is during such times that initiative, decision-making and risk-taking may prove very valuable. 

When change strikes—and it does for anyone who is in business in any way, shape or form—it is easy to lose your confidence and seek a safety net instead.  But safety nets can be unreliable.  Fall hard enough, and they might or might not do a very good job catching you.  

Instead of going into a holding pattern, wise business managers choose action.  More so, they encourage those around them to reach, change, challenge themselves and make mistakes.  

It is easy to become overcautious when we are feeling less sure of either ourselves, the viability of our business or our employment circumstances.  Unfortunately, though, this caution can backfire.  It can make clients, co-workers and bosses think you are simply slacking.  Our intention to “do no wrong” can be misinterpreted as “doing nothing.”

When faced with any kind of business challenge, good managers recruit the help of everyone around them.  They freely pass around the message that they are tolerant of mistakes that might be made while attempting to move your organization forward—but stagnation is unacceptable.  Give up on perfection.  Striving for perfection in challenging times only allows others to pass you by.  The goal instead is to create lots of little creative efforts that are “good enough” and keep you moving forward.  

As the late President Ronald Reagan said (and I paraphrase),  “Surround yourself with the best people you can find.  Give them your vision.  As long as they are working to make that vision real—stay out of their way.”

Today, ask your team:  How can we move forward now?  What’s the best idea you have floating around in your head at this very moment?  What do we need to do to make that more than just a thought?  What can we do to make it real?