In these ever-changing, uncertain times, the cost of delay in making decisions is greater than ever before. In her October 26 “Let’s Get Growing” video, Bobbie LaPorte shares a tip for shifting your focus from minimizing risk to maximizing what is possible.
Video Transcript: Don’t Be Afraid to Make a Mistake
Hi everyone, Bobbie LaPorte here again with this week’s “Let’s Get Growing” tip…where I help you take charge of your plans and accelerate your initiatives as you head into the end of this year.
Last week I shared that one of the questions I keep hearing from clients is: when preparing business cases with many options….how do you pick one and move forward instead of deliberating for what seems like endlessly over so many options? This is particularly relevant now that many of you are going through the annual planning process.
As I shared last week – there are two shifts here for leaders to consider – the first one, how the timelines for decision-making have changed, we reviewed last week. This week I want to share the second one: which is the new definition of risk-taking.
As a leader, how do you move forward without making mistakes that could create negative consequences for the organization, risk your reputation and possibly your job?
We’ve covered previously in these weekly tips that the pace of change we are experiencing means the cost of delay to organizations is greater now than ever before.
The bottom line is: we can no longer make minimizing risk our primary focus when developing plans. In a world that is shifting and changing, evaluating risk must take a back seat to in-the-moment decisions based on confidence; this is contrary to what we have all been taught – which is to minimize risk and avoid the potential consequences of making mistakes.
In this environment, risk-taking and making mistakes are more acceptable now, mistakes are part of this process, of innovation, of trying different approaches to expand what is possible.
This may seem like a big leap for you to make, particularly if increased risk-taking may not be supported, encouraged in your organization.
So, here’s my tip:
The next time you have to evaluate risk as part of your decision-making process, ask yourself: how can I shift from minimizing risk to maximizing what is possible? What small step can I make to taking a little more risk, not wading through an exhaustive evaluation process, fueled by fear of what could go wrong?
Once you practice this a few times, you will build the confidence and muscle memory to take on bigger decisions.
That’s my “Get Growing” tip of the week. I’ll see you next Monday… remember to see this time as an enabler, not a liability or a time to “pause”, waiting for certainty to return.
Take care of yourself!
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