Risky Business
It was performance review time at work recently. We do this twice a year here and it is not much different here than anywhere else I have worked: review time is looked at with disdain by most. But there may be a certain medicinal benefit to taking a moment to ponder the recent months. As Thomas Paine said, “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”
This time was especially neat for me since I was able to take stock of my new current position and also reflect on the team I have around me. I noticed something cool when I did these reviews. I discovered that we are all risk-takers. Taking risks is an interesting phenomenon. I am pretty sure that most people who may be wired up to be risk-takers are not able to discern this simply because they are never allowed to take risks.
For example, I have worked at several large corporations and I was in a position of leadership in each of them. I was never allowed, though, to make most of the changes I saw fit to be made without a considerable amount of approvals. It was easy to look up at the chain of command and wish to be in their positions simply because they obviously had the freedom to make changes as they wanted. But then I learned that they were not allowed to make decisions either. They had to get their own approvals. It was like an egg hunt: try to find the person responsible for making decisions. All too often, there was no person. Decisions were simply made as a result of annoying pressure and politicking. In most cases, suggestions for changes were thieved from the lower tiers of leaders and claimed by the upper-level leaders as their own. (On a related note about the high cost of this sort of attitude, check out this article here.)
That is different here. I am in a situation where creativity is rampant and risk-taking is encouraged. That’s right… encouraged. I do not take this lightly. First of all, this means that the organization must be willing to fail at what they do. Most organizations are equipped to prevent failure. I like being in a place where failure is an option. The irony is that we are also deeply committed to excellence. Willing to fail does not result in mediocrity. Instead, it helps us make more decisions in a specific time frame and the most excellent decision becomes more readily available.
It is also clear that willing to take risks works best when that attitude is propagated throughout the organization. If any link in the chain of command is opposed to risk, it sort of messes up this dynamic for others. When all leaders are committed to take risks, are willing to fail, and are passionate about excellence something amazing happens: things get done quicker and cheaper. Creativity is enhanced. People are enabled. And this is good — even for a left-brainer like me. It seems that people actually want to work in an environment like this; what a novelty: people who want to work!
I am glad I have a team around me that likes to take risks. I am glad I have an excellent pair of employees working for me who are full of creative, risky ideas. Most of all I am happy to have a boss who encourages risk-taking and enables decision-making.
[...] Shoot for the moon! Posted on December 15, 2008 by Graham Brenna I recently read a post by Zac titled “Risky Business” and it got me thinking about a lot of things…Â some of which were not prompted by his post but none-the-less relate, at least in my head. So while doing my own little analysis of whether or not I like where I work I’ve come to a number of different conclusions, usually based on how great of a job I think we’re doing at “Knowing Jesus, and Making Jesus Known” on a particular day. Zac states that he enjoys working where he does because “creativity is rampant and risk-taking is encouraged“. [...]
This post prompted me to write a post myself. http://tinyurl.com/moon121508 can be considered my “comment” to this post.
[...] – Zac Smith talks about risky business and what it’s like to work in an environment where risk taking is encouraged and failure is an option. [...]
[...] recently read a post by Zac titled “Risky Business” and it got me thinking about a lot of things…Â some of which were not prompted by his post [...]