At some point in our career, someone "goes out on a limb" to help us along in our journey. This help usually puts some real momentum behind us and ultimately pushes us upward and onward.  I've often thought that these 'events' don't really occur terribly often for any one single individual and for some, they may never occur at all.

To gain some better understanding of these events, I conducted an online survey to business professionals to find out exactly what they had experienced.  I wanted to know the  'who, what, where, and when' of these BIG acts of kindness.

Here's what they had to tell me.

Who gave you your big break?  It would be great to know that there is a pattern for those individuals who take risk by helping others but the results don't really indicate any such pattern.  They help people received came from many areas of our lives; that is, inside work and in our personal lives.  The good news for us is that they exist almost everywhere. If you haven't found that person, keep looking.  They could be anywhere. 

Some of the responses indicated:
• An immediate boss
• A manager from another department
• A mentor
• A local charity leader
• A college friend
• An executive
• Nobody

What did they do? Most everyone has their own idea of what constitutes a 'real helping hand.'  For me, the opportunity has always been to help someone be more successful in their career.  By that I mean to find a better way to do things that helps them gain more positive visibility in the eyes of executives and decision-makers.  For the respondents of the survey, the help they received ranged from emotional support to intellectual stimulation. 

The results included:
• Gave me direction during my tenure with the company
• Gave me a chance to do something different
• Believed in me
• Gave me great advice
• Taught me to market myself
• Hired me

Where did it happen? Many people consider work to be the best place to make the right impression and gain the support for their efforts.  Our survey indicated that this isn't necessarily true.  Respondents were helped by those they worked with inside and outside of the workplace, and even before they entered the corporate life.  This implies we should never overlook anyone for we never know who others will become and how they could help us out, no matter where we are. 

The most indicated locations for a BIG BREAK included:
• At work
• At a local charity
• At college

When did it happen?  Alberta Flanders once said 'Sometimes only a change of viewpoint is needed to convert a tiresome duty into an interesting opportunity.'   After reviewing the survey results, I wondered if the respondents who feel they haven't gotten their big break may have simply missed it.  Maybe they just didn't see it for what is was.  The results show that it opportunities can arise at any time and as we previously learned, almost anywhere. 

Some common times identified in the survey were:
• During my first year on the job
• At Lunch
• While making a presentation
• During an interview

These results should give everyone hope that opportunities are abundant in our lives.  You never know where or when it will occur.   There appear to be a couple of keys to capitalizing on these.  The first is to be able to recognize them when they occur.  We must recognize that the people around have the ability to make great changes in your life.  While we don't know when it will occur, we do know that it will be someone we interact with.  The last key is to obtaining BIG BREAKS is to increase our interactions with others.  The more we interact, the more likely we are to find that person who will take that risk and help us gain a little more success.