WEBVTT - The New Corner Office: It doesn’t hurt to ask

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, This is law. Welcome to the New Corner Office,

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<v Speaker 1>the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the

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<v Speaker 1>new world of work, where location and hours are more

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<v Speaker 1>flexible than in the past. Today's tip is that it

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't hurt to ask for what you need from your

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<v Speaker 1>bosses and colleagues. They're more likely to say yes than

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<v Speaker 1>you think, and people generally aren't angry about reasonable requests.

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<v Speaker 1>In any job, there will be times when you'd like

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<v Speaker 1>to request something from your boss or co workers. Perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>a project is taking you longer than you anticipated and

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<v Speaker 1>you'd like to move your deadline, or maybe you'd like

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<v Speaker 1>to shift your work hours so that you and your

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<v Speaker 1>spouse can balance your work from home schedules. Making these

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<v Speaker 1>requests can be nerve racking. Many of us fear asking

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<v Speaker 1>too much, offending someone, demonstrating a lack of commitment, or

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<v Speaker 1>even putting our jobs in jeopardy. This fear can be

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<v Speaker 1>enough to prevent us from asking in the first place,

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<v Speaker 1>and this is too bad, because research suggests that we

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<v Speaker 1>actually don't need to worry so much about asking for

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<v Speaker 1>what we want. People tend to overestimate the costs and

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<v Speaker 1>underestimate the benefits of doing so. One study published in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty nine found that people tend to avoid asking for

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<v Speaker 1>extensions on project deadlines because they're afraid that asking will

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<v Speaker 1>make their supervisors view them as incompetent. So instead of

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<v Speaker 1>asking for extra time, people submit less than ideal work

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<v Speaker 1>that's done in a rush. Guess what's likely to make

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<v Speaker 1>you look incompetent, right, So this is incredibly shortsighted because

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<v Speaker 1>the same study found that when people asked for extensions,

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<v Speaker 1>they were granted of the time, and supervisors actually viewed

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<v Speaker 1>the employees who asked for extensions as more motivated. They

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<v Speaker 1>seemed like capable communicators who are on top of their

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<v Speaker 1>workflow and who didn't want to turn in shoddy work.

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<v Speaker 1>This suggests that failing to ask means subjecting ourselves to

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<v Speaker 1>unnecessary stress. Another study, which examined how supervisors from fortune

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<v Speaker 1>companies responded to employees work life balance requests, found that

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<v Speaker 1>the employee's requests were accommodated fifty percent of the time.

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<v Speaker 1>Not bad. Of course, some requests feel more significant than others.

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<v Speaker 1>I know that asking to work reduced hours, for instance,

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<v Speaker 1>can be a particularly fraught conversation. However, research suggests that

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<v Speaker 1>a few key variables affect how likely employers are to

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<v Speaker 1>respond favorably to this type of request. Employers may be

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<v Speaker 1>more likely to approve part time requests from employees who

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<v Speaker 1>perform at a high level, who would be tough to replace,

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<v Speaker 1>who have a strong network of professional connections, and who

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<v Speaker 1>imply that they would leave if the request is denied.

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<v Speaker 1>As with much in life, the more career capital you have,

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<v Speaker 1>the better off you are. In any case, is if

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<v Speaker 1>you're worried about making a request, it might help to

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<v Speaker 1>imagine the situation reversed if a colleague asked for something

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<v Speaker 1>reasonable and specific, you do what you could right. As

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<v Speaker 1>for your supervisor, just know this, hiring and training employees

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<v Speaker 1>is incredibly time consuming and stressful. If you're a high performer,

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<v Speaker 1>your boss is utterly terrified that you're going to be

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<v Speaker 1>unhappy and leave. You have way more leverage than you think.

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<v Speaker 1>Right now, the working world is undergoing a significant amount

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<v Speaker 1>of upheaval. Your supervisor or colleagues maybe even more open

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<v Speaker 1>to granting requests for unusual hours or nontraditional setups than before.

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<v Speaker 1>So next time you're waffling on whether to ask for

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<v Speaker 1>a change you've been dreaming about, go ahead and try.

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<v Speaker 1>You're highly likely to get what you want. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura, thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding

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<v Speaker 1>in the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is

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<v Speaker 1>a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit

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