Thursday, December 11, 2008

Change can scare you, even a positive one


My friend works with me. He is younger than I am. He isn't paid a hell lot. And he often feels that he is better than others in office. He asked me if he should put in a request for a raise or hint at it indirectly. I couldn't advice one way or the other. For, not letting him ask would be unjustifiable. And telling him about the possibility of a negative or a harsh reply would be discouraging.

He shared his ideas about his future. He feels if he had an MBA to his name, he would be far better off. He feels he should seek admission in an Australian University, study and come back and earn some good money. But he isn't so sure about the plan; to put it rightly, he isn't sure about the consequences.

He says he feels stuck in the current situation. He wants to get out but he doesn't quite know how to. And the ways he does know of, he isn't so sure about them. What should he do? Tough situation. And a pretty common one too.

The reality is that you are scared of change, especially when you can't foresee the results. However, history suggests that even the greatest amount of planning and exercises in foreseeing can't ensure positive results. On the other hand, results have often been achieved with spur-of-the-moment planning.

The key is to realize that change can cut both ways. And the fun always lies in doing. When in doubt, feeling stuck, just do it. If nothing else, it would be time well spent, rather invested. Though might seem risky, you could learn something precious.

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