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THE ONE PHRASE YOU SHOULD NEVER UTTER EVEN IF YOU FEEL IT:

“I'm not sure.”

THE GUTSY GIRL'S GUIDE TO TAKING THE HEAT

When a good girl takes a risk that fails, her inclination is to assume all the blame, and wear a hair shirt for an indefinite period of time. Or, perhaps even worse, to hibernate in her office, hoping everything will blow over if she wishes hard enough. Though these approaches may make you feel better or safer, they are both extremely dangerous: They can create the impression that the situation—and your culpability—are far worse than they are.

Some of what I've learned about taking the heat has come from my friend Merrie Spaeth, president of Spaeth Communications, who specializes in helping companies talk to the public when they have a major crisis on their hands. There was a time when some companies in crisis would close ranks and keep their mouths shut, only making matters worse. Spaeth will coach an organization on how to tell the story so that management comes across as honest, responsible, and proactive.

Though coping with a bank failure is not exactly the same as dealing with a setback in your work, several of the same principles apply. You have to be gutsy enough to make a full disclosure and you also have to manage the communication effectively.

First, says Spaeth, put everything in writing. That's your protection against any rewriting of history a boss or co-worker might attempt down the road. It's also the opportunity to remind everybody of how many players endorsed the plan—also known as spreading the blame. It's not that you're trying to shirk responsibility But if you were headed in a direction that management encouraged and your game plan was given an enthusiastic go-ahead, you don't want to be holding all the blame And believe me, people will try to make that happen Use words like we, our, and together.

There are two other things you want to keep in mind when you're putting together your written documentation. Use as many positive words as possible, steering away from the negative ones. You also should offer a solution or damage control. “If the new branch in the northwest mall didn't work out,” says Spaeth, “offer a great plan for dealing with the inventory from there.”

In addition to putting things in writing, you should talk to as many of the key players as you can in person. Spaeth says that it's a way to make sure they're informed, but also to get a glimmer if anyone is trying to bad-mouth you over what's happened.

CHAPTER TWELVE

A GUTSY GIRL'S GUIDE TO THE FUTURE

Up until now, all the gutsy-girl strategies I've talked about relate to the job you have at this moment In time. But if you want long-term career success, it's not enough to be gutsy in your day-to-day work. You must also take a gutsy approach to plotting your career, aggressively using both your expertise and your contacts to get you better and better positions up the ladder.

Even if you currently love your job and you're a blazing success at it, you must be looking toward the future. A gutsy girl never rests on her laurels or allows herself to get too comfy in a job. In the Korn Perry study of executive women, 80 percent of the participants said they believe that strategic job changes are an important element in achieving success.

A gutsy girl, therefore, is always scouting, making contacts, and researching opportunities in her field—as well as other fields that pique her interest. It's quite likely that you could have two, perhaps even three careers in your lifetime.

A gutsy girl also knows that the best time to get a great new job is, surprisingly, not when she's discontent with her current position but when she's absolutely in love with it. That way she's operating from a position of strength, able to capitalize on both her reputation as a passionate worker and also her full-blown self-confidence. She realizes, as well, that sometimes she must grab hold of an opportunity even when she doesn't feel 100 percent ready to handle it.

Sounds scary, doesn't it? But