I know I’ve said have a plan—both long term and short term—but there do come times when plans have to be thrown out of the window. These are the opportunities. I had a friend who wasn’t getting on particularly fast in his promotion plan. One day he found himself sharing a compartment on the train with his chairman. This was his opportunity. He could have fluffed his lines, made a jackass of himself, or been too embarrassed or nervous to take the advantage. But he didn’t do any of these things. He made his pitch perfectly. All he did was to chat informally but with the respect his chairman warranted; show a keen grasp of the company’s history, mission statement, and general aims; be presentable, smart, and well spoken; express himself clearly and articulately; and, most importantly, didn’t noticeably press his advantage—he knew when to shut up and back off. It certainly worked. His department head was told by the chairman that she had a “Smart young man there—bring him on a bit, will you?” What choice did she have but to promote him?
That’s seizing an opportunity. You can’t write that into your plan, and these moments will come along. When they do you must:
• Recognize them
• Play them well
• Be cool and suave
What you mustn’t do is:
• Fail to recognize the moment for what it is—a fleeting opportunity
• Panic
• Over play your hand
• Get so excited you make a idiot of yourself
Learn to see opportunities as balls—if they get thrown your way, you have but a split second to catch them. There is no time for asking questions, looking over your shoulder, weighing the pros and cons, or dancing the foxtrot. You either catch the ball or you don't.
Spend a little time looking back at what opportunities you have missed—and what you would do if you had the same chance a second time. Would you react differently now? What did you do wrong?
LEARN TO SEE OPPORTUNITIES AS BALLS—IF THEY GET THROWN YOUR WAY, YOU HAVE BUT A SPLIT SECOND TO CATCH THEM.
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