If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get It
Assertiveness at work.
Mahatma Gandhi knew it. “If you don’t ask, you don’t get it.”
It is as simple as that.
Yet, you may feel uncomfortable to say what you want. There is never a good occasion. You feel embarrassed, and end up waiting for them to notice.
Let me spoil it for you. The chance they notice is not high. I had coworkers who talked between the lines. Did I understand what they wanted? Of course not. I had to ask them directly.
Don’t rely on poetic metaphors and vague ‘okay’ statements. Take a chance into your hands and ask for it. You might be surprised that you get it.
Why don’t you just ask?
As a typical millennial, I hate calling. I grew up texting. So, making a call that is not a video call is annoying me. When you complain about something, people tend to tell you: “Why don’t you just XX/call/ask for it/change it?”
If it was that simple, you would be confident and ask. But maybe you are not.
The common reasons why you don’t ask:
- You feel inappropriate. You are not in a position to ask for anything.
- You fear of not being understood. Others can hear something else.
