Are the American Idol judges setting clear expectations…

…or sending conflicting messages? 

I’m an American Idol fan, particularly after they’ve identified those who will compete in front of live audiences.  I’m struck by the judges’ caveat that the contestants need to take a risk, followed by their criticism that the contestant chose “the wrong song.” 

How can someone take a risk without, at times, making the wrong choice?  I don’t believe it’s possible.  Either you play it safe and stay with the tried and true or you try something new and learn something in the process.

There are dilemmas hidden in my last statement.  First, nothing is permanent so the tried and true won’t last forever.  The market for what you offer, whether it be a product, service or job skill, will eventually go away.  Failing to recognize this fact, and staying with what you know works, is a risk in and of itself. 

Second, trying something new also carries a risk.  You can, however, limit your risk by how you structure your approach.  Jay Abraham in his book, Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got, tells us to test our new ideas.  Whether it’s a marketing message, a new pricing model or your resume, send just a few (5 or 10) then see what reaction you get.  Tweak your message and test again.  That’s how you limit your risk when trying something new.

Finally, the mistakes we make while taking “risks” (assuming that we’re controlling risk) are investments – investments in knowledge that will serve us for years to come.  The key is to learn from our mistakes.

It’s counter-intuitive, but you’re taking a risk no matter what you do so why not take risks that will help you learn and grow.  By the way, set clear expectations with your employees and vendors about the types and amount of risk you’d like them to take.  Otherwise you, like the American Idol judges, will be sending conflicting messages.

Please share your thoughts with The Invaluable Leader readers by posting a comment.  If there are topics you’d like me to address, send me a note at dale@furtwengler.com.

How her insights impact our view of ourselves…

…and our future. 

In an address to the students of Howard University, Michelle Obama said “The question that I hate most that we ask of young people is, ‘What are you going to be when you grow up?’ And the truth is, I still don’t know, and I’m 45 years old.” 

I’m significantly older than Ms. Obama and I still don’t know what I want to be, nor do I want to know.  What I have is a direction in which I’m headed.  That sense of direction is all that I need to move forward.  It does not, however, allow me to know exactly what I’ll be doing in the future.  There really isn’t any way for me to know what opportunities my journey will present and which of them will be most attractive to me at the time. 

It’s counter-intuitive, but if I have a clear picture of what I want to do, keep my nose to the grindstone and work diligently toward that end, I’m likely to overlook opportunities that present themselves along the way.  I could easily pass up opportunities that offer greater psychic and financial rewards than the one I envisioned.  

There is another risk associated with having that clear picture of what you want to do.  The market may not share your interest.  Who among us hasn’t created something we thought incredibly exciting and valuable only to learn that we’re a party of one.

Keeping your eyes open as you move in the general direction you want your life to go will allow you to see what the market wants so that you can align its interests with yours.  That’s why it’s so important that, like our First Lady, you’re not overly concerned with what you’re going to be when you grow up. 

Please share your experiences in discovering opportunities you didn’t envision by posting a comment.  If there are topics you’d like me to address, send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.