Patio Pondering: Take Heed, the Sailors Were Right!

I woke this morning to a red haze through the window, reminding me of the old phrase: “Red sky in morning, sailor take warning.”

I quickly dressed, closed up barns, moved the patio furniture under roof, and made sure we were ready in case a storm rolled through. We ended up with only half an inch of rain and no wind.

As I sat with my coffee after that bumblebee flight of preparations, I thought about how we often face “red sky warnings” in the workplace.

During an interview yesterday I was asked: “When in the past did you feel you needed to leave your job?” That question pulled me back to moments in my career when the warning signs were there, but I ignored them. Times when I should have paid closer attention to the signals and tested the job market waters.

How we respond to those warnings often depends on our tolerance for risk and our comfort zone. The challenge is knowing when to act and when to stay the course.

So I wonder: how do you take the “red sky warnings” in your career and turn them into opportunities for growth?