Are you playing it too safe in your career?

Are you playing it too safe in your career? And if so, do you know why?

My client recently said no to a “great” opportunity at work that would have given him visibility among company leadership.

For context, he manages a large team and is already very busy.

Before saying no, he took a look at his personal bandwidth, his team’s capacity to take on more work, and decided that now was not a good time for him to say yes to more work.

The problem was that his peer was offered the same opportunity and she said yes. She was equally busy and strapped for time.

This doesn’t mean he should have said “yes” but we had an interesting discussion about why he said no.

This led to some new insights for him about his tendencies to avoid taking risks, his need for safety and stability, and his desire not to disappoint others.

None of these tendencies are “bad” but he saw that when blindly following them he was missing out on growth opportunities.

Where are you playing it too safe? Where are you avoiding taking risks and how is it holding you back?

Remember, you can take smart risks through research and preparation. Don’t assume you can’t do something without exploring the options.

CALL TO ACTION

1. Join the Career Design LinkedIn Group and get access to more great articles and resources to help you design a more fulfilling career.

2. If you are interested in working with me to take the next step in your career then schedule a free 30-minute consultation at MGC Coaching.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mo Chanmugham, Esq., CPCC, ACC is a former entertainment lawyer turned executive career and leadership coach and the founder of MGC Coaching. He helps ambitious professionals who are feeling stuck gain the clarity and confidence they need to create more fulfilling careers and become better leaders.