All You Have to Do Is Ask #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published last year:

Today's blog post is based on a podcast from The Art of Manliness.

Are you feeling overwhelmed at work? Trying to find a job, but can’t seem to get your foot in the door? Have you been knocking your head against a problem over and over again, but haven’t made any headway on it? 

My guest today says you can solve most of these issues by simply asking for help.

His name is Wayne Baker, he’s a sociologist, consultant, and the author of the book All You Have to Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success. 

We begin our conversation discussing what the research says are the benefits of asking for help and why people are nevertheless so reluctant to do it. Wayne then provides insights on how to overcome those obstacles in asking for help, the best way to formulate an ask so that it actually gets a response, and how to handle rejection. We then turn to Wayne’s research on how organizations can benefit from creating a culture of help-seeking and what you can do within the organizations you belong to to foster such a culture.

The myth of the rugged individualist makes it difficult for us, especially as Americans, to ask for help from anybody. We feel that we should be able to do it on our own. But the coronavirus is pointing out the fallacy of that idea to us at this very moment.

Here are the highlights of the program:

• What is “generalized reciprocity”?
• What keeps people from asking for help?
• How to “earn” the privilege of asking 
• The productivity benefits of asking for help
• How overgenerous givers hurt themselves
• 4 categories of givers/takers 
• What’s the wrong way to ask for help?
• The 5 criteria of a SMART request 
• Tactics of an effective ask 
• Utilizing your dormant network and weak ties
• Why your requests should be specific 
• Handing rejection 
• How companies and organizations can develop a culture of help-seeking

The podcast was really interesting. Take half an hour and check it out.

Interesting days

Today - Biodiesel Day, Awkward Moments Day, Forgive Mom & Dad Day and Companies That Care Day

Tomorrow -  World Sleep Day, Poultry Day, Chocolate Caramel Day, Client’s Day and International Read To Me Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 14 - Mar 20: Universal Women’s Week

Mar 14 - Mar 20: Sleep Awareness Week

Mar 14 - Mar 20: Groundwater Awareness Week

Mar 15 - Mar 21: Introverts Week

Mar 14 - Mar 21: Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week

Next Thursday - Waffle Day, Tolkien Reading Day and Pecan Day

April 18 - Animal Crackers Day, Pet Owners Independence Day, Piñata Day, Columnists Day, World Heritage Day, Lineman Appreciation Day and Amateur Radio Day