If you have ever been fortunate enough to own a dog, you’ll understand this post better than most. Dogs have a knack for positioning themselves exactly so that the person petting them can scratch their…well, butt. They aren’t shy about it either. If they could speak, I’m sure they’d say “Please, I need your help, I can’t reach that!”

Dogs ask for what they want. They aren’t apologetic nor do they beat around the bush. They “ask” straight up. People, unfortunately, aren’t as straight forward; we tend to drop hints, use innuendo, or even make defensive statements. How can we be more like the dogs of this world and ask for what we really want?

Try this 3-step approach. First, what do you want? Is your want from your partner, your kids, or your team? Step two is designing the right wording for the ask—it should support the need you have just defined. And it’s not about making someone else feel bad. Finally, you need to be courageous enough to ask. I love to pet my dogs’ head—ironically they don’t love that; they can do that themselves. What do you want at work or at home that is not being met? My Ella would tell you if she could speak “Just ask – you’ll be glad you did!”

With Gratitude,
Beth