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A manager I coach was concerned about one of his people. He said that although he knew it was none of his business he felt that one of his top producers was wasting her personal time working on an idea she had for a new product, but admitted that her actions had no impact on what was a stellar performance.

It wasn’t that she might leave to pursue the idea that bothered him, but rather that failing would be painful and he found it sad that she was setting herself up for so much disappointment if things didn’t pan out.

And before you write this off with the thought that he’s old and she’s young or that he’s jealous let me clarify a bit.

Both are in their early thirties—she’s actually two years older, they’re educational equals and both are highly innovative.

What they have is different MAP. While both take risks, he prefers being an intrapreneur while she likes the idea of entrepreneurism.

I told him that

• they were more similar than he realized and that he shouldn’t evaluate her dreams using his MAP;
• in return for her productivity and 110% efforts he owed it to her to support her dream;
• the way dreams come true is by being willing to risk making a plan, setting goals and then going for it; and
• the only real failure comes when you’re dead, since any time before that you can try again and that the only people who never “fail” are those who attempt nothing.

What would you have told him?

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