Do you consider yourself a calculated risk-taker?

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Jeff Bezos has built Amazon's culture around calculated risk-taking. This is built on the principle that many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. As Jeff Bezos puts it, "I can guarantee you that none of these ideas are guaranteed to work. All of them are gigantic investments and they're all risks. The only way to get above-average returns is to take risks and many won't pay off. Our whole history as a company is about taking risks, many of which have failed and many of which will fail, but we'll continue to take big risks." This is a large part of the culture of Amazon.

Perform research on yourself and examine how you fit this mold. Give an example where you took a calculated risk and describe the result. If it failed, detail what you learned from it and what that failure contributed to your future success.

"I think life is all about taking risks. But I am not a gambler. I don't lean too heavily on chance. When you recognize an opportunity and realize you have more than just a chance to succeed, you have to take the time to weigh the odds and examine what you stand to gain and what is leaning in your favor. That's where it becomes a calculated risk. Sure, it might not work out, but if you approach it intelligently, recognize the odds of failure, and determine whether that failure could lead to learning and future success, then it feels like less of a risk as long as something stands to be gained. So in this regard, I would consider myself a calculated risk-taker."

"I do consider myself a calculated risk-taker. In a previous job, I led a small team of developers creating a new Android app. Our team knew three competitors were working on a similar release, and we were racing against the clock. We had a few setbacks when two developers became ill, and one of the competitors had a larger marketing and PR budget. If they released their app first, our company would not make it. I decided to skip the beta-testing phase and release the app with an aggressive PR and marketing campaign. My risk paid off, and the company made $400,000 on the release."

Anonymous Answer

"Yes, I take calculated risks both in my professional and personal lives. The trick is to sensibly manage the risk without becoming paralyzed by too many what-if scenarios. For example, a new customer demanded that I guarantee a sevenfold productivity improvement. The customer relationship was still new and it was a big account, so I agreed, relying on our product and the strength of my colleagues. The first version only doubled productivity, but we brainstormed and iterated a few times, and in a month we achieved the target. If I hadn't taken that risk, we could easily have lost an important referenceable account."

Marcie's Feedback

Great! We can assume that the interviewer is looking for you to say that you are a calculated risk-taker so it's good that consider yourself to be one! Your example supports your assertion and shows you in a good light. Perfect.

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Anonymous Answer

"Yes, I look at all of the data and make a decision based on the information I have. It is something I do every day. If we have all the data for every project we would never make any decision. So, now in my new role, we plan a campaign. We decide the tactics for the customer. We look at the metrics. If the MCR or NCOP isn't increasing we pivot and try new metrics. You change until you find the right answer."

Marcie's Feedback

Nice! It's great that you consider yourself a calculated risk-taker. What type of campaign did you plan? What kind of tactics did you decide to use? What metrics did you monitor? What risk did you take? Make your example more specific to strengthen your answer. Good job!

Anonymous Answer

"Yes, I consider myself a calculated risk-taker as nothing can be 100% certain.

Being a risk taker however does not mean that I do not exercise due diligence when approaching a task for which I do not feel 100% prepared. Exercising due diligence is a sign of humility and respect that one does not take the responsibilities and trust that come with them lightly. For example, although I may have the experience to be able to show up at a customer engagement without prior preparation, I will perform some demonstrable preparation and/or research beforehand so the customer has evidence that I arrive invested in engagement outcome. Taking risks results from the fact that there is never enough time or resources to account for all the potential variables, the best we can do is to prepare ourselves so that those risks are based upon intelligence and due diligence. Demonstrating intelligent, due diligence is an avenue to gaining customer trust."

Marcie's Feedback

Excellent! The interviewer will appreciate that while you're open to taking risks, you also perform due diligence so you're as prepared as you can be. Including an example in your response (particularly one that shows your dedication to clients) makes it even more meaningful and memorable. Great job!

Anonymous Answer

"I am cautious when it comes to taking risks, and I calculate risk very carefully by doing the risk assessment outlining the pros and cons. If the benefits of taking the risks outweigh the risks, and the decision is a two-way door, then I will. if the decision is a one-way door, then I will open up a larger discussion to decide on taking that risk collectively as a group."