November 18th Coaching Tip: Ask For A Favor.
Today and tomorrow are filled with important back-to-back meetings for me. I needed a slight adjustment in a meeting tomorrow morning at 9am that impacted four different people; I really needed to move it forward to today at 430pm. How do you ask for a last-minute favor, when it is uncomfortable to ask across four different parties? Tell the truth and ask the favor, as most of us are forgiving especially if you’ve been and are authentic. Once I explained that I couldn’t make it tomorrow morning (for a couple reasons) and asked to do it at the end of the business day today, we all realized quickly that it was about the same “business” time. The end of one business day is just one hour different that doing it first thing the next morning. It worked; I asked for the favor and we all adjusted. Favors are granted more freely when you’re kind, you’ve developed a relationship and give people a bit of a heads up. No one like surprises, but if you need a favor, be wise and truthful.
November 19th Coaching Tip: Dig Thru Those 50% OFF Clearance Boxes.
After work today, I decided to take a few minutes and go shopping at a few stores that carry some pretty cool Indiana University gear. The first couple stores had great gear, but the prices seemed a bit high, i.e. a hoodie with the IU Bison on it was $78-$90. I’m a HUGE Indiana fan, but that was out of reach for me.
As I walked down the street, I looked across the street and saw another smaller store with IU gear. As I neared my car, I stepped in to that small store (the 4th of four stores) with little to no nope. And boom, as I walked in, I saw boxes on the floor with 50% off marked on them. I quickly started going thru one of the boxes and found a $15 soft and thick “Indiana Football” black sweatshirt. Perfect, just perfect. The price was very friendly and the fit and feel were yummy. Dig in those clearance boxes, you’ll be surprised at what you find.
November 20th Coaching Tip: Ask For Help.
For some reason, my identify needed to be verified at work. I had been trying to “confirm” my digital and personal identify since late September, with zero success. As the clock wound down this week before my access was going to be eliminated, I went over to the local leaders in the office and told them my problem. At first they didn’t really understand; then after I kept trying on my own, I went back to them. And sure enough, one of them was experiencing the same “error” that I was receiving on my work laptop. Once I found the right person who had experienced the same painful process that I was going thru, she gave me not one but two names to help me. It worked! I was granted access immediately and was easily able to verify that I was a real person and working in a real Merrill office. Yes, AI is here to stay, however know when to leverage your connections and the power of a caring human. Ask for help, and be resilient, until you find the right person who can help. This was something that AI nor a robot could resolve 🙂