What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career, and what did you learn from it?

[Nikki1989]

[Friendlybro79]

Yelling at an executive who was completely unhinged. He belittled our entire work group in of nowhere. He scared one person so bad it looked like they had a bout with PTSD and this triggered them. It's the best way I can put the look on his face and he looked terrified.

I've been in rooms with executives yelling and screaming, and the best you can do is just sit there and tune them out. They are very high stakes jobs, and they're stressed out. That said, I still don't condone that behavior unless literal lives are at risk. It doesn't do anything but create the opposite effect they desire.

Well this one time he scared someone so bad I calmly tapped him on his shoulder and said it's enough now. I told him we get the point let's take a break.

He snapped at me and had his finger in my face, so I stood up and screamed, "I said enough!" I looked him dead in the eyes and didn't blink. I told him again calmly but more sternly. We hear you. Lower your voice. If you can't, take a lap around the office and come back when you're ready to talk to us like human beings.

He did. I was certain I was going to get fired lol. HR was in the room and actually thanked me because they were terrified of this executive and said it was ok how I handled it considering his behavior.

That executive left for the day and when he came back the next day he pulled me in his office and asked he could buy me coffee downstairs. As we walked downstairs he told me he was going to apologize to the group and thanked me for speaking up. He had some really bad personal life thing happen (he didn't tell me) and said he should have taken off that day. He was just having problems process everything but said it was no excuse. He apologized to me first and then later that day in our meeting he apologized to everyone.

I gave the guy credit for that and moreso that he never pulled that nonsense again. I could tell he was stressed so to lighten the mood, I said how about coffee and a cookie... then all shall be forgiven lol.

What I learned is sometimes you need to be silent and just let a rough event pass and sometimes you have to stand up and say no more. It's hard to tell all the times if that won't have backlash for you but sometimes you just gotta stick up for yourself and others around you.

[NathanDavis]

well... I just decided that I don't really need or want a career, and I did quite college

started a business of my own, instead...

realized that I would much rather to be more in control of my time overall, and that having the flexibility to make things work for me, rather than me working for something... would give me more time to be with my family, friends and all... and that made me much more happier

[Crimsyjo]

I had to go off sick for months to deal with family crisis and mental health from that. But I ended up finding my dream job years earlier than I thought I would so change can be good even if at the time it's risky or scary or for negative reasons. It forces us to improve.

[nik_the_cur]

I've been assistant director to a very successful and promising artist in my area for the last 2 years. I booked a 3 day trip because I've been exhausted from a year with heavy work and many deadlines. This 3 day trip probably will cost me the position of assistant director as I'm missing an important art opening. But then again I needed this vacation

[juliammm]

I have learned to partition different parts of my life.