In the 90’s I was working on a big project. There was lots of work to do, and we knew it was going to be a challenge. Taking career risks is often necessary in such situations. It was a new business, and the deadline for the project was fixed because it was determined by legislation. We needed the new system to be fully functioning and up and running by April 1st.
There was no room for delays. We would have to go live with whatever system we had, there were no second chances.
These are the kinds of projects I like, the tougher ones, as this is where reputations can be made.
At the time I was the project manager, and I needed a Test Manager to ensure that the system worked and met all of the requirements. It needed to support the business needs.
What happened next surprised me.
My friend said ‘No thanks‘.
I said, ‘What do you mean no thanks, this is a great opportunity, and because I’m the project manager it’s yours if you want it’.
He replied again ‘No thanks, it’s too risky
This was a great opportunity, it could have catapulted his career and helped him make a name for himself. But he chose not to do that.
My friend, 20 years later on, is still working at pretty much the same level as he was back in the day. His aversion to career risks has meant that his career has stagnated. Maybe he has less stress in his life, but he also has less success.
On another project where I was the lead, we had to deliver results in 3 months which normally took 18 months. This was certainly a risky project. I invited another of my friends, a colleague who I had worked with previously, to come along and be my right-hand man.
But he jumped at the chance, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He said sure, if we could deliver that, then we would be able to deliver anything.
He saw the risk not as a challenge but as an opportunity. There were a lot of risks, and it involved us working a lot of long days and weekends. But eventually we successfully delivered the project.
Since then my friend has gone on to bigger and better things. He is currently a Senior Vice President at a Fortune 100 company.
He always credits that project as the one that helped him, it not only enhanced his reputation, but also it gave him the confidence that no job was too big, and that it showed him that greatness comes from overcoming difficult challenges not avoiding them.
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