“Ask and you shall get”, they say. Clarifying what you need to the world is an essential skill for success.
Many years ago, I struggled with this. The fear of what others would think paralyzed me from asking for what I needed. I underplayed my potential, till the time I saw one of my other colleagues asking.
My colleague very clearly asked for the kind of responsibilities and associated salary increase he wanted. He did it with conviction about what he was asking for and what he will need to do in order to deserve it.
When I started to put forward my ask firmly and clearly, I found success and fulfilment of living to my potential. I got book offers because I asked. I got consulting opportunities because I reached out. I got new responsibilities at work when I asked for it.
We often dread asking because it’s uncomfortable and there is a fear of rejection. We have to walk past that fear and ask anyway.
That is how we get to what we truly want – whether it is a certain kind of behavior from others, a salary increase, a different kind of opportunity that we are seeking etc.
So remember – you won’t get what you don’t ask for clearly. Your ability to ask is directly proportional to your courage and confidence in your own skill to make it happen.
The truth is – every ask is also an offer. You are demonstrating willingness to do more, courage to showcase your value and conviction in your abilities to do it.
Asking for something will sometimes result in a “No” – and that’s okay. Don’t let a few rejections of your ask discourage you from asking. The key is to learn from all the NO’s you encountered, so you can make your ask/offer clear.
Asking is a great strategy for success. Ask so that you get what you are worth.
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