The Fork in the Road

Yogi Berra is renowned for saying, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Well, Jay felt like he was being stabbed by the fork in his road. He had several options at this point in his career, given the extreme disappointment experienced during his first evening of the so-called reward trip. He was now making some notes. First option: he could jump overboard. He was not serious, and this was not a survivor play.

Legitimate Option 1: he could look for a new job and perhaps even start in a management position. That idea seemed somewhat appealing. He had been approached by other companies in and outside the information systems management industry from time to time. There would be no Cathy Simmons in his life if he took this path. All the baggage that had been loaded on his career conveyor belt would immediately disappear. There were certainly positives to this option, but on the other side of the scale, he had invested so much of himself at XL that he hated to cut and run.

Option 2 centered on resisting this change in his company’s strategy. He could muddle along as an average performer until the game changed back around. One part of him liked this path, but he had strong doubts as to whether it would actually work. Dr. Pat had mentioned that the focus on profitability was seemingly everywhere. Besides, average was not a word he ever wanted to associate with himself.

Option 3 was to chart a totally different course—not merely accepting, but fully embracing this change that had crashed into his life. He could take full advantage of this learning opportunity and make Bob Blankenship live his words about handing him the golden statue twelve months from now. Jay could make tonight’s shocking events merely a bump in the road or, better yet, a wake-up call. “Tough times don’t endure—tough people do,” he told himself. If this Dr. Pat was right, he could make relatively minor changes in his process and generate big changes in his results.

If this were the new game for the business world, he could buy in and endeavor to learn from the person who was apparently the first in his company to treat her negotiaphobia. He could approach Dr. Pat first thing in the morning, let him know that he was there to learn and that he would be both an attentive and open-minded student. He could totally immerse himself in his treatment.

In less than a minute of scanning back over the three possible directions, Jay decided this final option was the most viable alternative and became committed not to just walking but sprinting down this path. He went so far as to write out and put his signature on this decision on a page in his legal pad. He was now totally committed.

CHAPTER 2 ONE MINUTE INSIGHTS

1. A gap in our negotiation skills can become apparent to us as a subtle tap on our shoulder; but to generate behavior change, it often requires a slap in the face.

2. Our past is the result of the experience we have gained and the decisions we have made, and our future will be shaped by our choices today and those yet to come.

3. Don’t simply wait for the old game to return; learn the new one. The only constant is change, and the only real job security today is our own bank of relevant skill sets.

4. Life presents us with a series of learning opportunities. Should we decide to stop learning, we have begun our own obsolescence.