Most of us know that to get what we want, and need to get our job done, we have to ask. That said, many people have difficulty summoning the courage to ask for what they want. It may be fear of rejection, it may be uncertainty about who to ask, it may even be uncertainty about, do I even have the right to ask.
For those who have a fear of rejection as the big limiter may want to try the experiment that Mark Moschel took on to handle his fear of rejection. As you can see it was fun, confronting at times, but ultimately a breakthrough experience for him.
Who to make the request to is another challenge in many organizations because roles and responsibilities are not clear. If you have that concern about am I making the request of the right person, preface your request by asking, are you the right person for me to make this request to? If not, do you know whose role it is to respond to my request? Then make your request, being specific about what you are asking for and by when you want it.
Remind people they can either accept, decline or counter your requests.
When it comes to the question, do I have the right to ask? As we get clear about what our role is, and what we are responsible for in that role, and who is counting on us to fulfill our role, we soon get clear that not only do we have the right to make our requests, we have a responsibility to ask for what we want and need to fulfil our own responsibilities in our own role.