Who Wouldn’t Take This Job?

Who wouldn’t take this job? Sometimes we are groomed for positions where the power, status and money are so appealing we wonder, How could I pass this up? And sometimes, the best answer is, because you can.

It takes courage and soul searching to assess whether to jump at an opportunity presented, rather than take time to weigh the pros and cons. The pros of compensation and career advancement are tempting when you’re either bored in your current role or eager to advance. Certainly, if you are ready and the role offers exactly what you would seek outside your company, then accept.

If you have doubts, you will save yourself and others significant angst if you step back and honestly assess the opportunity with both your mind and heart. Am I qualified? Is the timing right? Is the stretch within my level of competence? Does it enhance or threaten other valuable parts of my life? Do I really WANT this? How does the money, status and power define who I am? Will the same money, power and status be there when I am ready?

The temptation to say, I can make this work, is intense. Who says no? Someone who has made an honest assessment and discovered that family, geography, relationships, interests and current skills and knowledge advise against.

If you take the role to stretch beyond a comfortable skill and knowledge level, you have choices about how to take this work. Break the role down into its constituent parts and create achievable goals. Then do what few people in your position do: ask for help. Ask peers, direct reports, and your senior leadership. People generally want to help, especially when the alternative (you failing to meet deliverables, deadlines, and other commitments) makes them less successful. The key is knowing what you want to achieve. Others can help with how to achieve your goals. Since no goal exists in a vacuum, you create shared wins and model good leadership.