Book Review: All You Have to Do Is Ask
All You Have to Do Is Ask by Dr. Wayne Baker
From a very early age, we have a desire to be independent. If you offer to help any toddler struggling with a simple task, a majority of the time you will be met with a frustrated “I do it myself.” As we grow up and master basic skills for living along with more complex skills for success, the one thing we still struggle with is asking for help. But what if this aversion to asking for help was holding us back from our true potential? This is the message for us in Wayne Baker’s new book All You Have to Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success (New York, NY: Currency 2020). [Available here]
Right from the start, Baker emphasizes that not asking for help costs companies billions of dollars, causes burnout of employees, and negatively affects all aspects of our lives. Conversely, he provides anecdotes of people coming together and going above the call to help someone who had the courage to just ask a question.
The first half of the book focuses on Baker’s research into why asking for help is such a difficult task for most people. These reasons run the gamut from human psychology to social construct to workplace cultures and broken systems. However, Baker points out that generosity is waiting inside most people ready to be unleashed as soon as it is called upon. Help-seeking success is not a one-way street either. The larger message of the book is what Baker refers to as “The Law of Giving and Receiving,” a way of thinking that calls on us to balance helping others and asking for help. He includes an assessment that helps you to see where you stand in the spectrum of giving and receiving and gives descriptions of how these different personality types can help and hurt you in the workplace.
The second half of the book is full of resources that will help individuals and companies get the most out of asking for help. It begins with a tool that helps you identify your goals and needs and then guides you on how to formulate your request and find the right resources to meet your needs. Turning to business leaders, Baker provides many tools used by successful companies to help them build strong teams that open up networks, inspire people to ask for help, and reward individuals and groups who work together to solve problems. These tools, which include mini-games, technology platforms, budgeting strategies, and more, have been tried and tested in major companies such as Google, GM, and IDEO.
All You Have to Do Is Ask is Dr. Wayne Baker’s newest book. For more information about the author, visit his website.
Wisdom at a Glance
All You Have to Do Is Ask is a great book that empowers its readers to develop a simple skill into a powerful tool that unlocks a world of possibility. The concepts in this work can be applied both personally and professionally to build bridges in our lives and reach new heights.
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