By Rich Bond
I’ve been met with the same defeatist refrain in countless conversations with hiring managers.
But I’ve learned that the seemingly impossible can often be achieved by embracing a fresh perspective.
During my MBA journey, I wound up working 20 hours a week on a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) contract. When I started, the project, which was only half complete after three years of work, was suddenly given a three-week deadline.
I challenged my boss, the contract lead, with a bold proposition: while three weeks was unattainable, we could accomplish the task in three months by transforming the basic computer program. This innovative tweak would eradicate 95% of the laborious clerical work being performed by myself and three other clerks.
She agreed.
Lo and behold, we triumphed, completing the project in three months and leaving everyone awestruck.
The project lead, a brilliant demographer with minimal computer literacy, needed my modest IT skills to propel her groundbreaking work across the finish line.
I’ve witnessed this phenomenon of conquering the “impossible” time and time again in the business world. Have you defied the odds and achieved what others deemed unattainable? I’d be thrilled to hear your inspiring story of turning impossibilities into realities. Email me: richard.bond@bondandcompany.com.
