Expect the unexpected. Plan for change and make predictions, but stay flexible once the process is under way. Build contingencies into your strategy, Cohn and Usheroff advise.

The key is to clarify everyone's responsibilities and roles at the outset. This will make course corrections easier to execute.

Prepare. No matter how small the change might be, you need a plan. The more thorough, the better. Breakthroughs occur one step at a time. Make sure every move is well thought out.

Clarify; set priorities. A common complaint of employees? They don't know what's expected of them -- especially during major change -- says management adviser Robert Schaffer, author of "The Breakthrough Strategy."

Show workers how daily tasks affect broad objectives. If a goal spans six months, break short-term targets down by department -- perhaps on a weekly or biweekly basis. This way, employees know what's expected of them daily, and managers can fine-tune progress.

Don't assume. The worst thing execs can do is take workers for granted during a downturn. The thinking? They won't quit; they need their jobs. If you don't engage workers -- especially during times of change -- they may not quit physically, but they might emotionally.

Change initiatives may fizzle. Productivity could nose-dive.

"People will make or break any business initiative," wrote Cohn and Usheroff, "so pay attention to the human side of change."

School 'em. Before launching dramatic initiatives, train execs in change management, say Cohn and Usheroff. This includes everything from communicating clearly to anticipating worker attitudes.

Don't dump the process on human resources. The HR staff can help, but most of the responsibility lies with senior and midlevel execs. Make change management part of the overall strategy.

Expect push-back. Don't consider resistance to change a negative. "Resistance is information -- you're getting a gift," Cohn and Usheroff wrote. Interview resisters with an open mind. Get to the causes of reluctance. You may uncover strategy flaws or unforeseen problems.

In some cases, you'll find out where the whiners are.

In all cases, acknowledge workers' concerns and give them the freedom to speak, says "Lightning in a Bottle" author David Baum.

Look for common ground. Then find ways to give staffers a stake in the change.

Keep sharing. When launching a major shift, use what Cohn and Usheroff call the 10-times communication rule: "You need to communicate important information 10 times -- in different ways -- before the majority of employees will have heard it. Vary the communication vehicles and repeat, repeat, repeat."

Open up. If plans may change, share them anyway. Keeping mum about a shifting strategy -- especially over several weeks or months -- breeds anxiety and suspicion among workers. Share the plan upfront, and indicate it may change.

For these little mermaids and mummies, the reward is well worth the risk.

To be successful in one's career also requires risk taking. And just as for the kids, risk is accompanied by fear—fear that you'll screw up, fear that others will judge you, and fear of the unknown.

But, "The benefits of being a courageous risk taker are many," say Beth Banks-Cohn, PhD and Roz Usheroff, PhD, authors of Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times...and Beyond. "If you make a mistake, you'll become wiser. If you succeed, you'll learn something about your capabilities and potential. Either way, being a risk taker at your job will position you as a leader and an innovator."

The key, say Banks-Cohn and Usheroff, is to learn how to be a smart risk taker. Here are six ways they suggest to do it.

Trust your instincts: Don't wait for complete certainty on an issue before making a decision; it often arrives too late if it arrives at all. Once you get a good idea, don't incubate it--act on it and work to make it happen.

Don't be afraid to ask for help: If you're in a job or doing a project for which you lack experience, have the courage to tough it out and ask for help. If you operate on fear instead--the fear that asking for help will diminish you in the eyes of your boss or co-workers--you're setting yourself up for disaster.

Unleash positive energy: Fear, stress, and uncertainty can be friends, not enemies, as long as you use them as motivators. Get used to tolerating these uncomfortable feelings. Remind yourself that progress won't happen without taking a step forward, into the unknown.

Anticipate and act: Not making a decision is actually making a negative decision. Think like an athlete and learn to position yourself where the action is likely to take place.

Learn from failure: The most important lessons we learn in life are those that result from failure. People are very forgiving as long as you've tried to do your best and acted with integrity.

Be realistic: When you're ready to take a risk at work, check it for "reasonableness." Being viewed as a maverick is good; being seen as reckless or off-the-wall isn't.

Trust your instincts
Don't wait for complete certainty on an issue before making a decision; it often arrives too late if it arrives at all. Once you get a good idea, don't incubate it--act on it and work to make it happen.

Don't be afraid to ask for help
If you're in a job or doing a project for which you lack experience, have the courage to tough it out and ask for help. If you operate on fear instead--the fear that asking for help will diminish you in the eyes of your boss or coworkers--you're setting yourself up for a disaster.

Unleash positive energy
Fear, stress, and uncertainty can be friends, not enemies, as long as you use them as motivators rather than as energy or action blockers. Get used to tolerating these uncomfortable feelings. Remind yourself that progress won't happen without taking a step forward, into the unknown.

Anticipate and act
Not making a decision is actually making a negative decision. Think like an athlete, and learn to position yourself where the action is likely to take place.

Learn from failure
The most important lessons we learn in life are those that result from failure. People are very forgiving as long as you've tried to do your best and acted with integrity.

Be realistic
While wild dreams and outrageous ideas may look good on paper, the working world doesn't play on paper--it plays on the field of life. When you're ready to take a risk at work, check it for "reasonableness." Being viewed as a maverick is good; being seen as reckless or off-the-wall isn't.