"Without
exaggeration, she made our meeting the best we've ever had."
-
National Association of Legal Assistants |
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BUILDING
YOUR TOLERANCE FOR RISK: SIX STEPS TO TEST THE WATERS
Only the most productive employees can avoid being laid off, and
even then there's no guarantee. All managers have to learn to increase
their tolerance for risk. While some risk takers seem to have a
natural propensity for it, others can develop a taste. Here's how.
- Assess the
possible outcomes of all your options. Ask yourself which alternative
offers you the most loss or gain. Which scenario do you dread
the most?
- Start small.
At the next question-and-answer period of a conference, stand
up, introduce yourself, compliment the speakers, then ask a question
or make a comment. Initiate informal conversations with your boss
or your boss's boss. Discuss some of your ideas with colleagues.
Risk taking requires practice just like any other skill.
- Join a group
-- a professional association, a Speaker's Club like Toastmasters,
or a volunteer organization requiring you to give speeches. This
will enable you to learn how to stand out from the crowd by being
in front.
- Stretch the
boundaries of what you consider safe. Enroll in an Outward Bound
event, an acting class, or a foreign language seminar or travel
group.
- If you want
to take action, but your anxieties hold you back, pretend that
you are one of your most aggressive, confident coworkers. What
would they do in your shoes?
- Make a big
splash by unveiling an ambitious plan or offering a big idea at
a meeting of upper management. Share it beforehand and get promises
of support during the meeting.
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