Can you get success by asking for it?
Don’t assume that you can’t have everything in life. A lot of times, you might be surprised what you can get by just asking.
A good strategy is to find ways to negotiate a win-win situation out of something you want. Everything is negotiable and nothing is set in stone.
Of course, what you’re asking for has to be reasonable, and you need to be able to support your request. If you are asking for something fair and not too bold, you may be surprised to get what you want. And if not, the very worst that can happen is you receive a No!
Three times to ask for help
#1 Help with English
Don’t hesitate to ask for help with your English. You can ask a colleague to look over emails or slides for a presentations.
Natives do this as well, getting a second set of eyes for proofreading or grammar mistakes.
#2 Lead a project at work
Don’t assume that because you’re a language learner, you can’t lead a project!
Ask to be the lead instead of a team member.
#3 Better work schedule
You may be struggling with the demands of your schedule, and your supervisor doesn’t even know it!
Don’t be afraid to ask for a change.
If a more flexible or different schedule would help, ask for it!
Roleplay:
Lindsay: I was hoping to talk to you about the project I’m working on.
Aubrey: Sure, what’s up?
Lindsay: I know this is due Friday and I really want to make that deadline, but I’ve run into some snags!
Aubrey: Ok
Lindsay: I’d like to ask if I can have a little additional support.
Aubrey: Sure! What do you have in mind?
Lindsay: If we could add a couple of team members to the project so I can delegate a few of these tasks, that would be extremely helpful.
Aubrey: That is a great idea. I think Mark has some bandwidth this week.
Lindsay: He would do a great job. I can assign him to create some of the videos.
Aubrey: Who else would be able to help?
Lindsay: How about Samira? I could use help prepping the Q&A and I think she’d do a great job.
Aubrey: You got it. I’ll email them both today.
Lindsay: Thank you!
Next, find out what to do if you never get to speak English.
Have you ever achieved success by just asking?
Tell us about it in the comments section below!
