My 5-year old son's laugh is contagious and he's fun to be around. Though he's still a little boy, he is beginning to exhibit some of the traits of a young man, including that he finally seems to be moving out of the whining stage. My husband and I have been working with him for months on the importance of asking for what you want, instead of whining about what you don't have.
Asking for what you want is equally important for small businesses leaders. Before we can achieve new business goals, we must first articulate what is unsatisfactory about our current situation, and then express exactly what needs to happen to change the status quo. Here's how asking for precisely what you want will help you lead your business in an entirely new and improved direction.
- Asking For What You Want Empowers You To Articulate Goals. When you think long enough to say with precision exactly what it is that you want, you empower yourself to set specific and attainable goals.
- Asking For What You Want Helps You Identify People Who Can Help You. We all know people who have things that we want. Expressing our own specific desires automatically makes us think of people who have already achieved what we want to achieve. When this happens, we naturally begin to consider ways to reach out to those people for assistance.
- Asking For What You Want Helps You Manage Your Time. When you articulate what you want, especially if you write it down, you can more quickly eliminate from your “to do” list those things that don't lead to the things you say you want. By refusing to engage in activities that don't get you where you want to go, you free yourself up to pursue your highest priorities.
Today, I am so pleased when my son starts to whine and then catches himself, thinks for a minute and then says something like, “My crackers are all gone, can I have some more please?” This means he is making the connection between what he doesn't want, what he wants and what he must do to get it. This is what all business leaders must do — assess where we are, define where we want to be and then, do what it takes to get there.
Question: How do you discipline yourself to ask for exactly what you want? Do these simple steps help? What tips can you offer to help others?
