Ask for What You Want and You'll Get What You Need.

Are you resisting asking for something because you are afraid you won’t get the answer you want? Consider this.

I had a client, let’s call her Sally, who started a job with high expectations that this would be a great start to her new career path. However, a few weeks in she realized the job was severely under-utilizing her skills and talent. She contemplated speaking to upper management about what other positions were available. Sally wanted to know what she could do to move up in the organization.

Her only resistance was a fear there might be negative consequences. She was worried about asking for too much too soon. What would they do if they suspected she wasn’t content with her current position?

Sally broke through this resistance knowing that she had so much more to offer. She believed she had many transferable skills that would qualify her for a more senior position.

She reviewed the available positions and requirements and then approached her manager on position she was particularly interested in. Instead of the answer she wanted she got something else.

He told Sally the position she was applying for required 5 years of prior experience in that specific role. (When the she heard about the position, she was told 2 years of experience.) Sally explained she had similar skills and qualifications, but her boss told her the organization was not willing to train. They wanted someone with that exact skill set.

On her way home that evening, Sally received a text message telling her the event she was scheduled to attend the next day on behalf of the company was cancelled. When she showed up to the office in the morning, she suspected something fishy. So, on her lunch break she went to the scheduled location see if the event had in fact been cancelled.

The event had gone on as scheduled.

It’s important to know two things about this client: 1) One of her highest values are honest and direct communication. 2) What she is seeking in her next career is to contribute to the professional growth of others.

She had just found out that her boss is dishonest and the organization doesn’t invest in the growth of its employees.

Needless to say, this was not the response she wanted. And yet!... She now knows that it is time to focus her energy on a new job that is aligned with her values.

Had she waited and waited for the organization to recognize her talents and reach out to her about new opportunities in the organization, she would still be waiting. And who know how long she would have had to wait.

By being courageous enough to ask for what she wanted, she got the answer she needed.