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It’s Smart NOT Selfish to Ask for What You Want

Let’s be honest…we all know what we want, but we don’t always ask for it.

Sometimes we feel like we’re being selfish or self-serving by putting our goals at the top of the list. Sometimes we avoid asking, because we don’t like to hear the word “no.” And, sometimes we believe other people should just read our minds and magically make things happen for us.

All of the reasons are real and very common, but they are also some of the biggest roadblocks and obstacles to your success.

We have heard from so many women who are desperately trying to attend Women ON Point, who know how much they will grow personally and professionally from the experience, and who believe they are worth the investment, but for some reason are hesitant to ask the critical question…”Will you sponsor and send me to Women ON Point?”

Of course this applies to any and all other requests we want to make, know we need to make, but yet struggle to make. Until now…

Here are 3 tips to asking for what you want.

  1. Be Bold and Don’t Beat Around the Bush

All of the “I was thinking maybe…”, “Here’s just an idea I was batting around…”, “Perhaps at some point down the line…”, need to stop! This is the time when you need to be crystal clear about what you want, why you want it, and to be able to provide all of the logistical information in anticipation of the follow up questions. Know what it is (type of professional development), when it is (days you’ll be gone from the office), and how much it costs.

  1. Make it a Win-Win

Wanting to do something fun and interesting is one thing, but wanting to do something that has a significant ROI for yourself and the organization is another. Strategize about how to create, and present, that win-win outcome when asking. Talk specifically about what you will learn, how it will benefit your current role and your ability to bring more value to your organization, and how you will pay it forward to other teammates, colleagues and co-workers.

  1. Don’t Give Up

No one likes to hear the word “no”, but we all do on occasion. The difference is that most people throw in the towel when they hear it and simply give up. Not you! This is when you need to think creatively and come up with plans B, C, and D until you hear “yes.” Maybe you suggest looking at “other budgets”, putting it in the budget for next year, finding a sponsor, sharing the cost, delivering a presentation after the fact so others can benefit from the information, and so on. No one is ever going to want it more than you do, so you’re the one who needs to fight for it.

 To illustrate that we practice what we preach at Women ON Point, we followed these three steps when we secured our new partnership with the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. Sara was crystal clear about what she was asking for when she reached out to them, detailed the endless win-win opportunities that would result from the partnership, and she never ever gave up.

As a result, we are thrilled to announce that our philanthropic partner for the Women ON Point leadership summit in Minneapolis is the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. They invest in innovative community-based, community-led solutions to ensure equal opportunity and pathways to economic security for girls, women, and families across Minnesota. We encourage you to learn more about them by visiting their website (Include link).

Success Spotlight

Congratulations to our alumni, Emily Rodriguez, SHRM-SCP on her recent promotion! Emily is now the Regional Vice President of Human Resources at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and was previously the Director of HR at Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Please reach out to Emily and congratulate her on her recent accomplishment!

In the meantime, we still have a few spots left for the Minneapolis Women ON Point leadership summit on March 28 – 30, and we’d love to see you there, receive your referrals and recommendations for other rockstar women to attend, and greatly appreciate your continues support in sharing this information.

Thank you!