Scared of Losing Out? Great, I respect your fear, because recognising that we are afraid of something is always The First Step. But Fear alone will only lead to Depression not Prosperity. Most of us find a great deal of solace in being a part of a tribe or even better, in hiding behind the herd. The amount of effort we put in to blend in and be invisible is significantly more than what would be required to Stand Out and Be Visible.
I think it's hard to disagree that all of us at some point have been worried about being on the wrong side of the excel sheet when your employer is looking to downsize. However, would you disagree that instead of trying super hard to Hide behind The Herd by doing as you are told, identifying a glaring yet untapped problem which if solved would have a profound impact on the revenue generating potential of your employer in the near term would be able to tilt the odds in your favour?
Additionally, you could amplify your visibility by getting your colleagues excited about the problem and then carve out a little bit of time every day to work on it, chipping away at the problem, inching towards the solution while demonstrating tangible incremental results. This could not only pave the path towards you outgrowing the stature of a mere cog in the wheel to a key value driver but also be the guiding light for your colleagues who can now earn their way into the lime light. We will always come across naysayers who will do everything to discourage us from going against the herd but this is where you breakout and prosper - not just for you, but for your team, your larger circle of colleagues, your employer and most importantly your customers. If we can vouch to do 1 thing everyday that an average joe wouldn't do because it's too much work or the fact that it's fraught with risks or both, we will slowly but surely drift away from the herd.
Having said that, the real achievement would be when we are able to steer the path of the herd with the overarching goal of creating value for your customer (both internal & external - your internal customer is your employer) in mind.
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