Getting Ahead

Getting Ahead
by Takara Alexis

Thousands of years ago, a handful of fortune-tellers roamed ancient China, traveling to the palaces of Mandarins and predicting the future. When they were right, they were showered with riches and praised at lavish feasts. When they were wrong, they were boiled alive.

Taking a risk can be scary when you focus on what might go wrong and exciting when you consider the benefits if all goes well. The trick is to think about risk in the right way and use it to your advantage. Most people see taking risks as opening themselves up to unnecessary, even dangerous, chance. But the truth is, avoiding risk won't keep you safe, nor will it guarantee a smooth ride.

Have you ever wanted to suggest something new at work, but then you back down because you fear people would think it was a dumb idea? Or steered away from giving an opinion or making a decision because you did not want to stir the pot? Although these are natural reactions, they also show a lack of confidence in your own instincts.

Think of it this way: If you're convinced your idea is a good one-or at least, that it has a high enough potential upside to offset the risks involved-why would you expect others to torpedo it? Believe in your own instincts, and sell your idea.

It's easy to fall into language traps, most often if you over-think what your planning to say rather than just say it. Women in particular are prone to using self-defeating language. But the clearer you express your ideas, the more seriously they will be taken, putting you a step ahead from the beginning. And don't think you should be over explaining yourself-have confidence that your ideas are true on their merits.

In terms of attitudes about their own capabilities, people commonly fit into one of four categories. They are good at what they do, and they know it. Or they're good at what they do, but they don't know it or don't believe it. Or they're not very good at what they do, and they know it. Or they're not very good at what they do, but they think they are-or at least present themselves as though they are.

Offices are kind of like families-you're thrust into close relationships with individuals you may normally have nothing to do with. And just as with families, this provides all kinds of opportunities for conflict, whether real or fake.

For many people, the common response in similar situations is to feel not only professionally affronted but personally slighted. Sometimes we're so attached to our own ideas that we cannot fathom people having genuine objections to them; we believe it must be a personality thing. And in certain cases it is, of course-but here's a small secret. No matter whether a conflict represents a legitimate criticism, a personality clash, or something in the middle, you should always treat it as if there's no personal component what so ever.