Among the several pearls of wisdom that were overheard when I was going through the MBA program, one of the most memorable ones (that’s safe to print) came from Prof. Richard Ash’s Entrepreneurship Career Acceleration Module.
Although I’m not an entrepreneur (yet), Prof. Ash’s CAM, if nothing else, drove home the point that, “you gotta ask for the order.”
Whether you’re asking for help on a project or trying to close the deal on a merger, this simple mantra can be a mountain (or I guess since I live in Colorado, I should say a “14er”) of help.
I’ve since found myself “asking for the order” in a variety of situations. You would really be surprised at how often it pays off.
For example, my job revolves around using technology to provide support for some of McKesson’s customers. Each team in the Horizon Clinicals division supports and utilizes different software. After working at McKesson for a couple of months, I proposed an idea to one of the VPs to have a uniform database for all new hires to obtain/request the specialized applications and peripherals they would need, as there was not then a “one-stop shop.” I asked for the order, and I was given the green light. Huzzah!
Aside from being quotable, the CAM experience itself was unlike any class I’ve ever attended. Instead of solely reading case studies (the long ones… with 10Ks attached at the end), we would host executives for major companies and even do some traveling. My CAM went to SRI in Palo Alto, CA — they patented the mouse!
We heard real stories from people who had done their fair share of “asking for the order” and having it pay off BIG TIME. And hey, if it can work for me, I can pretty much guarantee it’ll pay off for you too.
I like this concept of “asking for the order”! I think many people have indirectly accomplished something similar, but I like the direct approach.
When you proposed the one-stop shop for new hires did you have the plan already detailed or did you give a presentation to convince the VP? Or was it just the concept you pitched and then asked for the order?
Depending on the culture of the company, agency or firm it may take different prep time before making the statement.
@AJ - When I proposed the one-stop shot to Lisa (the VP), the format was a presentation with an outline for how to accomplish the task. We have several in-house servers with more than enough space to house the apps not already included in the basic image that’s pushed out to our machines. I was not alone in the proposal; a couple of coworkers had compiled a list of applications on a spreadsheet and even after the proposal we had a few meetings to discuss the timeline of events that needed to occur for the one-stop shop to become a reality.
I agree that the culture of the company can affect when you ask for the order, but being prepared to floor questions and back up your analysis will always be part of the process.