The Most Powerfull Word In Career Management: ask!

We have all gotten a little spoiled with the advent of AI. We have a question, and we rapidly fire up our favorite AI platform. And there are a ton of them, from my favorite, OpenAI, to Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic, Claude, Meta AI, and seemingly hundreds of others.

And the results are truly amazing. However, that comes with a caveat. There’s another resource that has been around us since we were born. The folks that we know. Our family, our friends, our business associates, our teachers. The list is endless. All we have to do is look around.

And here’s another fact that we all know, but tend to ignore:

Every person knows something that we don’t. Every person. No exception.

And all we have to do to tap into this wonderful resource is just open your mouth and ASK. Let me go give you a few examples:

Grandson to the rescue

IN 2010 Apple rolled out a world-changing  new product:  the iPad. My wife decided she wanted one.. She has her BS and RN in Nursing and was working at the cardiac catheterization lab Morristown Memorial Hospital. She did use computer workstations, but nothing about programming or searching on a computer. When she got it, she knew she had no idea how to use it. She took advantage of the most powerful words in the English language: Ask!. She called her oldest grandson, who was  15, going on 30, and, like most kids, well advanced with technology. She asked for help, and within half an hour, she was up and running, and she never looked back.h. Today, she is a genius on the device and gets information which blows my mind. All because she asked an available resource, her grandson

Asking in a business environment

In the world of career management, where you deal with things like the job search, promotions, raises, and mentorships, there are tons of resources at your fingertips. All you have to do is ask. One example: a woman who went to my unemployment seminar during the great recession was talking to me about her daughter years later. During the course of that conversation, she told me about how well her new job was going, and she said, “Bill, a lot of that was due to you. You told me the magic of that word ‘ASK”. And I did..

Having already done my homework on my recent accomplishments, I went to my boss one day and asked her a simple question, “Am I in line for a promotion this year? “

My boss was shocked; she hemmed, and she hawed, and finally said, “Let’s sit down sometime next week and go through this. “

We did, and I got a sizable promotion and a hefty raise within the next four months. All because I asked.”

Who can help you advance your career?

In every aspect of your life, there’s someone you know who can help you achieve your objectives. Many years ago, I compiled a list of people for whom I had great respect. Somewhere in similar industries, somewhere not. Some were senior managers, some were people who reported to me. And some were people who reported to me. And I started thinking about what  insight I can gain from all these people. 

A funny thing starts happening when you begin asking questions. People answer. And their answers are frequently career-changing,

When I was running my seminars, the very best students were always the ones who asked the most questions and asked for the most help. 

Before you jump on the Internet, which is an incredible source of information, think of some of the people that you know.

Remember the story about my wife going to her grandson.

Remember the woman went to her boss and asked: “Am I up for a promotion. this year

Remember when you asked your wife or your husband to marry you.

Tons of good things happen when you start asking questions.

Now, you can start immediately, but ihere a a few thoughts that will improve your effectiveness: 

• Do your research. The woman who asked about her promotion had already done her due diligence on what she had been bringing to the company. She knew she had earned the right to ask that question. 
• Know exactly what you want to accomplish with your questions.
• Never ask a question that could easily be answered by yourself with just a little research.
• Be considerate. You’re asking for help. Make it as easy as possible on your teacher.

If you start asking questions, you’re going to be amazed, not only at how many good answers you get, but also at the relationships you build up with your new teacher