Risk

There’s a lot of talk out there about risk management, and the bottom line is risk is taking a chance, making change. Risk is what got us to where we are now and risk is what will move us forward. Yet in so many ways we have become a risk averse culture. Consider how many parents in British Columbia react when they hear about an amber alert in Florida. They become fearful and over-protective. The facts are that 83% of Canadian amber alerts occur as a result of parental abductions, not as a result of hordes of marauding pedophiles roaming the streets seeking out children. We’ve hedged our children around with so many protections that I fear for their ability to understand and take the appropriate risks as they become adults.

So, what does this have to do with you and work? It’s the same issue- only the grown up version. Do you take risk at your job? Do you take the risk of telling a manager that their brilliant new idea just won’t work?  Conversely, are you reluctant to learn new things for fear of making yourself look stupid- another form of risk? Do you allow imagined fears to hem you in, limit your choices and generally stop your growth? If so, you are showing strong signs of risk aversion.

Eons ago some brave caveman decided to go hunting with the very real chance of having the prey turn on him. Some other brave soul decided to try plants, berries and herbs, not knowing if eating them would result in death. Today we eat those things with never a thought of consequences. Our long ago ancestors took risks to eat, to live and to expand their tribes.

We too need to take risks. We need to accept the risk of being laughed at, being wrong or being imperfect. By doing that we will grown and change. Remaining cloistered can easily result in missing opportunities that could benefit us and our families. So, what risk will you take today?