It’s the trademark of many successful business leaders.

Here’s why we don’t ask:

• – We rationalize we don’t have time to ask for help.
• – We are afraid to ask for clarification of a project due to our pride.
• – We naively believe we know what our boss, company and clients need without asking them for their input.

As a result, we lose countless hours of productivity and fail to achieve intended results. These lost opportunities cost companies millions and may sabotage your career!

A true story! Someone was late for a meeting due to lack of planning on where the restaurant was located. They couldn’t find the restaurant and simply gave up. They didn’t ask for help or use technology (411 (directory assistant), GPS, or MapQuest), and, the restaurant was only 2 miles away!

Question: Would you want to work with someone who won’t ask for help? 

Answer: Probably not. And, we’ll never know the opportunities they lost out on!

Get in action. Stop rationalizing why you are afraid to ask others for their input. Asking questions of others takes less time and energy than rationalizing! When seeking advice, we become more competent and confident. The process helps us resolve issues, move forward to complete stopped projects, or achieve our intended outcome faster. Asking for help allows us to follow through and sets us apart from our competition.

Work smarter, not harder, means asking for clarification up front. Ask relevant questions, truly listen and stay on point in the conversation. It can take less than two minutes to ask a question, and that simple act can save mega time, money and frustration so you don’t do unnecessary work. Although the response may take 20 minutes, pay now or pay later. (Think, 20 minutes now vs. 20+ hours later attempting to resolve the issue and save the relationship.)

Plan ahead for 100% success. Ask your advisor, vendor, co-worker or boss about potential breakdowns and pitfalls. They are a reality. Known challenges will not stop you when you plan for them. It’s the unknown that limits our ability for a successful outcome.

Don’t be afraid to stretch the limits. Use technology, ask people, meet with advisors and review systems for new opportunities that allow you to push the envelope. But, don’t have them cost you price, service or functionality. New ideas are great, but, may not be beneficial if implemented without the proper due diligence and asking enough questions of the right people.

©Jeannette L. Seibly, 2010-2015

 Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Her unique combination of strategic and tactical people and business experiences includes being execution-oriented, customer-focused and business results-focused. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. She is an innovator who loves producing amazing results with and through others, on time and within budget, as a team.