Choosing “Other” is always another option

You can select “other” but if  you do, you have to decide what “other” means. That part can be difficult.

In an earlier life, I was confronted with the option to create phony data in order to attract a client. Or else. Well, I wasn’t directly told what the alternative was. Probably being fired or pushed to quit. You don’t have to read that many business books to get a sense of where this was going.

Given my lack of confidence, minimal experience, and young, growing, family, quitting did not seem like a good option and getting fired seemed scary and worse.

Those seemed to be the only choices.

(side note: by my count I’ve been fired three times and as it turns out, it’s been a good thing every time)

My partner on this project faced the same multiple choices. He had more confidence and fewer constraints, though. He told me he was going to quit and suggested I do the same.

See above.

He offered me another option, an “other” option.

He was familiar with graduate school programs and thought I might make a good marketing researcher. Why not go to grad school?

That was not anywhere on my list of options. Until it was.

And that’s what I did.

Obviously, there was more to it than that. And I know that particular option isn’t available or attractive to everyone.

A month earlier, it might not even have been attractive to me.

But there are other options. You might need a friend or mentor to shine a light on them. Or push you into them.

The point here is to be curious, strong, and bold when confronted with challenging questions.

And when you feel cornered, don’t be afraid to choose other.

What do you think?

See you tomorrow!

#options #cornered #career #choices