The Fraud Police are the imaginary, terrifying force of ‘real’ grown-ups who you believe – at some subconscious level – are going to come knocking on your door in the middle of the night, saying: We’ve been watching you, and we have evidence that you have NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE DOING. You stand accused of the crime of completely winging it, you are guilty of making shit up as you go along, you do not actually deserve your job, we are taking everything away and we are TELLING EVERYBODY.
Amanda Palmer,
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
Relationships are everything.
It’s difficult to achieve greatness on our own. Relationships and our connections with others are what help us to succeed and grow.
You don’t have to listen to the Fraud Police.
“The professionals know they’re winging it. The amateurs pretend they’re not.”
Asking for and accepting help from someone may be helpful to them as well.
More often than not, asking for help is a win-win. When you’re reluctant to ask for and accept help, ask your self how this may help the other person. When you’re in a leadership role, deferring to those who know more than you or have a different skill set not only helps you and your team to achieve its goals but it helps that person to showcase their skills and feel like an integral part of the team. The same goes for allowing other people to ask for what they need. If you deny others that right, you’re silencing their voice and encouraging them to become more detached from the team and organization.
The act of giving or receiving is not a solitary act. Giving someone a gift or offering assistance is an ask. You are asking someone to accept your gift or help. It can only be a true gift or assistance if you give the other party the option to decline it.
Find a mentor.
Mentors do not have to be the most successful people (or books or documentaries or …) in their fields. Sometimes those with a little more experience — or a different experience — can provide excellent guidance for where you are right now and where you want to go.
Authentic communication can fix almost anything.
Acknowledge your mistakes. Be honest. Apologize. Be sincere.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.