Fight or flight? That’s the question I pose to you and one that you should ask yourself. Especially in business! For the most part, in my experience, “businessmen” have a cool detachment from their work. We try not to get over emotional and always think things through, or so I thought.
I have recently experienced a flight response from a past team member I worked with. They were given an assignment which may have been a bit over their head, but instead of facing the challenge head on or doing what they could, they have chosen to drop the project all together.
So I have tried to figure out why that response. Let’s look at several factors of motivation:
1) Money? There was significant compensation.
2) Time? Maybe.
3) Resources? They had the tools they needed: software, hardware, etc.
4) Know-how/skill set? This is where I believe the response stemmed from.
People have a tendency to protect themselves when they aren’t confident in their abilities. Instead of stepping into a visible project and dealing with the discomfort, we hide. No amount of money could make us step into that zone of notoriety.
In my particular field, we work in teams. If you have the opportunity to take the ball, then I say take it and go as far as you can while remaining transparent and candid.
In that way the team benefits from your forward progress.
What factors or situations have you encountered that have given way to a flight response in business? For yourself? Maybe, a team mate?