Takeaway from Dr. Wayne Baker at Leaders Connect

Last week at Leaders Connect we had the pleasure of learning from Dr. Wayne Baker about his new book, “All You Have to Do Is Ask“, which will be available in January 2020

As he described it, the book contains a set of tools for mastering the one skill standing between us and success: the ability to ask for the things we need to succeed.

Dr. Baker presented to a crowd of over 100 leaders who he asked to imagine the following scene:

“ You’re on a deadline for a big project, and feeling overwhelmed. Or you’re looking for a new job, but can’t seem to get your foot in the door. Or you’re facing a personal challenge, and just don’t know what to do. What do these problems have in common? They can all be solved simply by reaching out to a colleague, friend, acquaintance, or wider network and making an ask. Studies show that asking for help makes us better and less frustrated at our jobs. It helps us find new opportunities and new talent. It unlocks new ideas and solutions, and enhances team performance. And it helps us get the things we need outside the workplace as well. And yet, we rarely give ourselves permission to ask. Luckily, the research shows that asking—and getting—what we need is much easier than we think”.

Dr Baker has many useful tools—used at companies like Google, GM, and IDEO—that individuals, teams, and leaders can use to make asking for help a personal and organizational habit, such as: SMART criteria for making an ask, “plug-and-play” routines that make requests a standard component of meetings, mini-games that incentivize asking within teams, and the Reciprocity Ring, a guided activity that allows people to tap into the giving power of a network. A map handout was giving to the participants to help them follow the path to learn the ‘All you have to do is ask’ process.

If you would like to take the first step, there is an online assessment to find your asking-giving style. By pre-ordering Dr. Wayne Baker’s book, you can also receive unpublished bonus content ‘A Guide to the 9 Asking-Giving Types’.

At the end of the presentation, Dr. Baker asked the audience to share something they would like to receive from other members of the audience, the “what, why and need”. To close this piece , I am including a request made to the audience by Kim Birkle, one of the workshop participators:

What: Support “Circus Vowels Reading Strategy”, a best practice created by local Saline Schools First Grade teacher Jodi McMaster.

Why: Our state is struggling with reading scores. Education impacts local business as their future workforce must be well educated. It impacts our state because with better education, our young people are more likely to stay in Michigan. In addition, Michigan just enacted the new “Third Grade” rule which is putting undue stress especially on less fortunate districts who are getting hit extra hard by low reading scores. Circus Vowels Reading Strategy was developed in the classroom over nine years ago, it is engaging, it empowers kids to read using phonics, and it works. Please see the attached short video to gain perspective on how it works.

Need:

More connections to local and statewide policy makers who drive education curriculum.
More and easier access to teachers and administrators willing to join the list of schools piloting Circus Vowels.
Local businesses, foundations, individuals to donate to help us continue our outreach and implementation. Even $250.00 makes a big impact as it supplies a ” Circus Vowels, The Long and Short of It” book for an entire class. Most schools do not have extra funds for pilot programs even when there is mounting evidence it will make a great positive impact on improving reading scores.
Advice and Mentors and donors to guide us in developing strategies to reach more educators and donors in a more timely manner

Since Kim asked for help, if you’d like to respond to her in order to help the Saline School Project, you can email Kim at kimbirkle@gmail.com