*** If you’ve ever wanted something and didn’t know how to get it, you need to read this blog. ***
In Take Charge of Your Talent we underscore the importance of being able to make effective requests if we are going to make the most of our resources.
We suggest a basic four-step request template:
Express your intention. State clearly what you hope to accomplish and why it is of value.
Provide a clarifying observation. Describe what you see that sets up the context for your request.
Make a request. Make a simple, concrete, direct statement of what you want.
Close with a confirmation. Restate and confirm whatever you have agreed upon.
Making a request at any level can activate new opportunities. But here’s a question for you to entertain: How bold are you willing to be with your requests?
The hero in our true-life story (we’ll call him Phillip) showed up to a Talent Catalyst Conversation with a victim story full of reasons why he wasn’t able to fully use his talent. He was passionate as he expressed his hope to contribute in a meaningful way to a group of his peers in recovery. He had so much going for him: a full range of self-expression, his personal experience, a deep understanding of his audience, and a tremendous resource of people who were ready to support him. What he discovered was missing was a request that would activate those resources.
So we spoke about the request he wanted to make. His initial responses were positive and fairly modest. He wanted to ask a leader in the recovery world for his support. We spoke about what it might sound like if he made a bold request: the things he truly wanted without any consideration about whether it would be accepted or not. He decided he wanted to ask for a two-year contract to work with this leader’sorganization to develop innovative approaches in the field. He also decided he wanted to be paid 6 figures a year.
Phillip called me the next day and asked, “Are you sitting down? I went into the meeting and told this leader that my intention was to impact several million people in recovery by creating unique tools that the audience could use anywhere and anytime. Then I observed that this could make a significant contribution to his mission and his bottom line. Finally I made a bold request. But I didn’t just ask for that financial figure we spoke about yesterday. I asked for three times that much. And you know what he said…‘Do you want to be paid weekly or monthly?’”
“And did you confirm what the agreement was?”
“Yes indeed. The first check is due on the first of the month.”
So what about you? Is the only thing standing between you and the realization of your deepest hopes a bold request?
Photo by: Stefan Baudy
