Putting you first gets a much better response, especially when you’re asking a favor, because it pushes the asker’s pride button. Suppose you want to take a long weekend. You decide to ask your boss if you can take Friday off. Which request do you think he or she is going to react to more positively? “Can I take Friday off, Boss?” Or this one: “Boss, can you do without me Friday?”
In the first case, Boss had to translate your “Can I take Friday off ?” into “Can I do without this employee Friday?” That’s an extra thought process. (And you know how some bosses hate to think!)
However, in the second case, “Boss, can you do without me Friday,” you did Boss’s thinking for her. Your new wording made managing without you a matter of pride for Boss. “Of course,” she said to herself. “I can manage without your help Friday.”
In the first case, Boss had to translate your “Can I take Friday off ?” into “Can I do without this employee Friday?” That’s an extra thought process. (And you know how some bosses hate to think!)
However, in the second case, “Boss, can you do without me Friday,” you did Boss’s thinking for her. Your new wording made managing without you a matter of pride for Boss. “Of course,” she said to herself. “I can manage without your help Friday.”
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment