Favors… They can be one of the most delicate leadership issues to master.
On one hand, skillful granting and asking of favors can position you as a collaborative leader who is ready to drive progress.
On the other hand, there are many ways to fumble favors. One of those ways is by asking a favor that demands more than you expect from the other person.
🔵 Maybe you’re convinced that a non-standard laptop will make you more productive.
🔵 Maybe you’re a remote worker, and you want to move to a new state.
🔵 Or maybe you just want a “workation” abroad or to become a digital nomad.
There can be many other examples where you recognize some level of inconvenience that your request will cause, but it’s easy to overlook some of chain reactions that cause greater hardships for other departments, such as additional ongoing burdens on security, legal compliance, taxes, procurement, technical support, risk management, etc. that come from each variant of hardware or working location.
As you grow in your leadership, you’ll increasingly be expected to understand and consider the broader business impact of what may feel like a hyper-local decision or exception.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t make these requests. Sometimes making or supporting a bold request like this is exactly the right thing to do. But here are four things to consider when asking for a favor:
1️⃣ Have a clear understanding of the real value that you will get from this favor – both personally and as an organization
2️⃣ Have a clear understanding of the real cost that will be required to grant the favor. Look beyond those directly affected, and examine the trickle-down effects as well. Reach out to colleagues for help to understand areas that typically fall outside of your visibility.
3️⃣ Weigh your personal capital. If the cost may be perceived to be high compared to the value, consider the strength of your relationship with those who will bear the cost. How much of that personal and political capital are you willing to spend to get this favor granted?
4️⃣ Regardless of whether you get what you want, show sincere gratitude to those who considered your request or helped you understand its potential impact. Consider how you may support or even grant favors to those who helped you.
Even what seems like an innocent request can sometimes have a surprising and unreasonable cost. But when you seek to understand that cost and support those who helped you with that understanding, you can improve your skill and success in asking favors.
If you know someone who would like to get better in asking for favors or any other area of leadership growth, invite them to visit https://stevedwire.com/talk for a complimentary conversation.
Leave a Reply