Chapter 7. The Deep End

Discuss this Chapter!

Context: Taking small, safe steps has left you unsatisfied. You're beginning to fear that this isn't a plateau but a rut. On a plateau you consolidate your skills through diligent practice in order that you can attain the next level but in a rut bland competence eventually decays into mediocrity.

Problem: You need to grow your skills, your confidence and your portfolio of successful work. You feel the need to challenge yourself with bigger things. This may involve bigger projects, larger teams, more complex projects, new and complex business domains or new places.

Solution: Jump in at the deep end. Waiting until you're ready can become a recipe for never doing a thing. So when you're offered a high profile role or a difficult problem, grasp it with both hands. Growth only happens by taking on the scary jobs and doing the things that stretch you.

This has risks. If you get it wrong and end up over your head you could drown. Thankfully there are many places in IT where you can take risks without destroying your career if you fail. Risks are opportunities seen through the half-shut eyes of fear. This doesn't mean lying on your resume to get a job you can't do. Nor does it mean tackling challenges without adequate preparation. Instead it means taking that promotion or foreign assignment when it's offered even though the very real possibility of failure is staring you in the face. Being prepared to fail and recover from that failure opens doors that the timid will never see.

Jumping in at the deep end means that even though we advocate seeking out the most challenging tasks you are capable of you must always remember that if the water level's above your head it means you're drowning. It's your responsibility to offset the risks of this approach by Chapter 18, Find Mentors and Chapter 19, Kindred Spirits.