Dark Matter Consulting

I mention this today because I see it as a problem,not because I have a solution…yet. One of the biggest “learnings” that many people need is to take calculated risks. Too many people think that if they kep their heads down, do what they are told and avoid making waves, they will be “safe,” whatever that means to them, and that life will be smooth, if not exactly memorable. Perhaps this was true 50 years ago during the heyday of “The Man in The Grey Flannel Suit,” but it is not true today. Regardless of your talent, performance, and savvy, you are one crazy boss, one merger, one bankruptcy at the parent company, away from losing your job. So, first, why not do what you really want? You can’t buy safety, so don’t sell your soul.

Next, the safest thing to do is to take calculated risks. Stuff may blow up, of course, but it may blow up anyway, and at least you are more in control this way. The alternative is what I call “defensive singing.” In the church where I grew up, everyone just sort of muttered through the songs, quietly, because no one wanted to noticeably sound bad. The result was really uninspiring. Is that your company or department? Many years later, I went to a church where a handful of individuals really sung loud and hard. Someone wold occasionally scrape a note, but no one cared, and the overall effect was really inspiring, uplifting music that made church much more enjoyable for me (and I went more often). Is this what you want your department or company to be? I do. Bottom line – if you avoid taking risks and avoid making mistakes and “sing defensively,” not only will your life be less inspiring in the moment, but the “product” will be less memorable as well, and therefore, you will face greater risks of having your product canceled or dropped or re-org’ed. You make the call. I know what I like to listen to.