In the last D&B Brief, we talked about taking credit as a key to career advancement. Another important key is taking risks.

Why Risk it?
In today’s fast paced business climate, being too cautious can lead to unacceptable delays or an open door for competitors. Taking risks demonstrates the leadership skills and professional judgment necessary to rise to the top of an organization. Even if you do not aspire to reach the executive suite, taking risks shows you have the strength and flexibility to handle more interesting, challenging work.

"There are lots of bright people who can write well," says a minority partner in a medium sized firm. "To really shine, you have to work on something hard."

His in house counterpart agrees. "The easiest way to distinguish yourself from the huge pack of lawyers who are all talented and bright is by showing you have taken well considered, deliberate risks in your career or professional life."

Research has identified two common dimensions of professional risk. The first is taking on assignments in unfamiliar areas, such as learning a new area of the law, working in a different business unit, or managing a new project. The risk, to put it bluntly, is failure. There is always the possibility you will not perform well in the new arena or you will not be able to manage problems that arise. However, there is also the possibility of rewarding payoffs: personal growth, increased confidence, and higher visibility—all of which position you well for advancement.

A second dimension of professional risk involves going outside your comfort zone, acting in ways that are not natural or easy. One example is asking for a stretch assignment, like the ones listed. In doing so, you risk being disappointed or coming across as pushy. The payoff, of course, is receiving the assignment.

Playing it safe, in this case not asking for the assignment, carries its own risks. In Talking From 9 to 5, Dr. Deborah Tannen notes, "In many organizations, those making decisions about promotions into leadership positions look for leaderlike behavior as well as evidence of a desire to be promoted [emphasis added], but many people (including many women) do not exhibit leaderlike behavior unless they have been granted the leadership position, and refrain from expressing interest in jobs they have not been offered." In other words: don’t ask, don’t get.

Other illustrations of taking risks by going outside of your comfort zone are changing your communication patterns, such as not yielding the floor when someone interrupts you, asking questions that might seem "dumb," and taking credit for your ideas and accomplishments. (See "Taking Credit: Spotlighting Your Accomplishments," Diversity & the Bar^®, Jan./Feb., 2005.)

A Matter of Degree
When thinking about risk, it is tempting to focus on big leaps that have big consequences—good or bad. Yet seemingly small changes can also have an enormous effect. Imagine an airplane set to take off from Los Angeles, headed toward Atlanta. Now imagine the pilot changed course by just one degree north. At first, the passengers would not notice such a tiny adjustment. But imagine their surprise when they end up hundreds of miles from their destination!

Over the course of a cross country flight, a tiny adjustment can make a big difference in an airplane’s path. In the same way, taking professional risks does not require a sharp change in direction. A one degree adjustment, such as speaking up in a meeting without being asked or inviting the department head from another business unit to lunch, can make a big difference in your career path over the long haul.

If the idea of taking a perceived risk causes some discomfort, congratulations! Taking risks, even intelligent, well calculated ones, involves accepting change and trusting the unknown. Take comfort in this discomfort. It is a signal of new opportunities around the corner. The Flourishing Process^TM will help you assess the risks and rewards of a proposed course of action.

The Flourishing Process

Clarity: Take a Step Back
First, look at the overall direction of your career. What do you want to be different? Do you want to advance in your current organization? Or would you like a different type of role, such as running a business unit? Do you want to move to another organization, either in a lateral move or to a more senior position?

Next, consider where you have become comfortable or complacent in your career. If, after answering the questions in the paragraph above, you decided you want your career path to include a promotion or new kinds of work, taking risks may be essential. Perhaps you should suggest a new way of handling the department’s caseload or volunteer to lead a major project. What would help you raise your visibility? What would help you make that move? What do you want to be different from taking a given risk?

Consider Florence, a senior attorney who supports the human resources department of a large manufacturing company. Stepping back, Florence decides within the next three to four years, she would like to have a solid shot at becoming the company’s chief legal officer when the incumbent retires. Florence has worked hard for the last three years in her current job, providing excellent legal work as assigned. She has developed a solid reputation but is concerned she is starting to get pigeonholed. Without showcasing her range of skills and experiences, Florence knows she will never advance. On the way to work one morning, a light bulb goes off in her head. She sees an opportunity to change the way all of the company’s lawyers interact with their clients that could save the company time and, in turn, money. Her immediate reaction is to set up an appointment with the CLO to discuss her idea and volunteer to lead the charge. But her company is fairly conservative when it comes to changing work processes. The CLO also has been consumed by another matter, and is not able to devote time to long range planning or fixing things that are not broken. Florence hesitates. The CLO is not a patient person. She has worked hard to cultivate a relationship with him and does not want to blow it. After all, he will be instrumental in naming his successor. Before doing anything, Florence must calculate the odds that asking for an appointment to talk with the CLO is a risk worth taking.

Choice: What are the Odds
Ultimately, you must calibrate the odds of success within the context of your organization and make a choice. Remember, the overarching purpose for taking these risks is career advancement. How will a particular risk demonstrate your leadership skills or professional judgment? Consider what you stand to gain and what you stand to lose. For some, a 10 percent chance of success is enough to take the risk, while others need 50-50 odds before moving forward.

Remember, choosing how to approach a situation is within your control as much as choosing which actions to take. If you approach a given risk as if your entire career will thrive or fail depending on its outcome, your nervousness will probably be your undoing. If you approach it as one step in a long career, you will not perceive the cost to be as high, and in turn, it may not feel so risky. "I don’t think there is such a thing as career suicide," says one attorney. "I’ve been knocked down enough to know I can always get up."

Action: Rolling the Dice
So you have decided to leave your comfort zone. Now what? As the popular ad says, "Just do it!"

What steps do you need to take to expand your risk repertoire? How will you stretch yourself today? By the end of the week? By the end of the year? Start with the item that feels the least risky and gradually push yourself to take on others.

No risk is right or wrong in and of itself. Calibrating a situation, taking intelligent risks, and landing on your feet provide evidence of leadership ability and sound judgment when advancement decisions are made.

Miriam Bamberger, CPCC, and Heather Bradley, CPCC, are the co-founders of The Flourishing Company, which helps emerging professionals sharpen their leadership skills to generate immediate and lasting changes in their ability to successfully manage complex work relationships.

From the March/April 20005 issue of Diversity & The Bar^®