In 1849, thousands of people flooded into California chasing gold, but most people found nothing. The ones who got rich, reliably at least, were the ones who outfitted and served the folks looking for their fortune. They were the ones who realized that when everyone rushes in one direction, the smart move is not to join them, but rather to position yourself in a way to benefit from the collective behavior.
The same pattern plays out every January in corporate life.
Right now, everyone around you is doing the same thing. They are setting goals, building roadmaps, fighting over OKRs, and trying to claim all of the shiny projects.
Which means this is the perfect time to point outward.
You'll still need to participate in goal-setting and planning exercises, or whatever the collective action at work is, but while everyone is competing for the same attention in the same way, there's a window to do something complementary.
To zig while everyone else zags.
Here are three smart moves to make right n…
