Managing Risk and Danger in 21st Century Careers

“What was I thinking? Why didn’t I see it coming?” These are questions we often ask ourselves when, looking back, we really "should have known better." "Big Sam" Allardyce, the former manager of the English national soccer team, is an astonishing example of someone who ought to have seen the danger of his actions. On 27th September, 2016 after only 67 days into the job, he was forced to resign amid an alleged bribery scandal. Surely he knew the folly of getting involved in "side deals" in such a high profile job? Apparently not.

Looking closer to home, and reflecting on your own career, have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were over your head with no way out? Or, have you "dodged a bullet" at the last minute when faced with a potentially dangerous work situation? The bottom line is that whether you are the manager of the English soccer team or pursuing a less high profile role, you have to take control of your career rather than allowing it to control you. Be wary of quick fixes, short cuts and "golden opportunities," and most importantly manage potential risk and danger, so that unlike "Big Sam" you don’t end up destroying what you have worked so long and hard to build.

But is managing risk possible in the face of increasing pressure and a highly competitive and unpredictable job marketplace? Our answer is it is possible. However, it is up to each of us as individuals to take charge of our "intelligent careers" to manage what lies ahead. First, this means applying every aspect of your intelligence to what has happened in your career up to now. What risks and dangers have you already faced? Did you manage them effectively? What might you have done differently? Next, it means looking to the present. What risks are you facing now? Where do they come from? What can you do to ensure they don’t have a negative impact on you and the people you care about? In turn, there’s the future, both the immediate and the longer term. What is the "risk profile" of what lies ahead given your current career trajectory?

One way to manage risk is to always be true to yourself. Remember the famous line from Hamlet “This above all: to thine own self be true.” Be especially careful of trusting "false prophets" claiming to be able to see into your future and pushing you in a direction that feels uncomfortable. Pursuing an intelligent career means relying on yourself, as well as trusted friends and colleagues, to decide what is right for you. Yet, it also means knowing yourself intimately, being aware of any tendencies to see what you want to see rather than what’s actually in front of you.

But let’s take a breather here… We aren’t suggesting that risk and danger are something to be avoided. Rather, they are an inherent part of life; they give it "sparkle." So risk and danger need to be recognized, managed effectively and embraced. Take the example of Dominique Browning, who had apparently done everything right: studied at two top tier universities, pursued a highly successful career in the publishing industry including positions as Editor-in-Chief at Mirabella magazine and House and Garden. Yet one day, completely "out of the blue," she was told the magazine she was running was to be discontinued. She had to pack up her things and leave by the end of the week. But did what happened really come "out of the blue"? Might there have been signs along the way that she missed?

Perhaps the best way to understand Dominque’s situation, is to appreciate the need to be fully aware of what is going on around you. Dominique might not have been able to prevent the closure of the magazine to which she had dedicated so much time and loyalty. However, she might have been more sensitive to the fact that nothing is permanent. She appeared to have devoted herself to her former employer, when a more "conditional loyalty" might have been wiser. Massachusetts Institute of Technology thought leader Edgar Schein sees this as a "normal evolution." You must take responsibility for your own career “because the reality for organizations is that they cannot predict or control career paths in the way that they used to do.” What they can't control is now up to you to control.

A final thought is that what constitutes risk or danger, very much like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder. Where you might see something as high risk and possibly even dangerous, others might not. The key point here is that few things are inherently risky or dangerous. What is important is how you as an individual manage them. If you are a strong swimmer jumping into the ocean is less risky for you than for someone who doesn’t have your athletic prowess. So it goes with your career. If you know your own strengths and weaknesses, and are able to adjust and adapt, then there is less risk. In other words, if you have an intelligent career risk and danger are to be embraced—but on your terms rather than someone else’s.