As a child I was taught that “If you ask, you don’t get”. I had to sit quietly and wait to be invited to participate. As a five year old I asked if I could try to swim a width at Tiverton Road Swimming Pool to win a certificate like the older children. I was grabbed by my mother and told to go and sit down. I would have celebrated the focus and vision of a child that asked to do that, but it wasn’t the family way. I still have my hard won (and fought) swimming width certificate from Tiverton Road, won six months later! That was the family way. Like many people I was humiliated asking for the salt at a posh dinner table: clearly I was ‘Below the Salt’ asking when someone should have noticed I needed a condiment. It was considered rude to ask for anything!
Yet mercifully many people are brought up to ask for things, whether they are outrageous, amazing or rude. You can scale back ‘rude’ in a way that is easier than pushing someone to be more demanding! As I’ve no doubt mentioned before, you win no prizes by sitting quietly in the corner waiting to be asked and noticed!
So in the last couple of months I’ve been challenging myself to #ask for things; whether this is for work, for people to buy my services (it is often difficult to ask that sales question!) or even for advice. This has culminating in some great results. For example I have been asking my customers and followers what they want to hear from me; what they want to learn about in the areas of communications. I have also been asking for feedback; asking for opportunities etc.
Over the next month I shall be sharing some of my successes and strategies for #asking. And of course, I’d like to ask you to contribute to this too!
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Never forget