Asking for Help is Not a Weakness

Earlier this summer, after some deliberation, I decided to join a public golf league.  To give you an idea of the quality of my golf game, a friend mentioned to another friend that he had a tee time scheduled with me later in the week.  The response received was “Did you loose a bet or something?” For most of this summer, not much has improved in relation to my golf game.  I continue with wild bouts of inconsistency on my drives, chipping and putting.  I struggle with maintaining a slow back swing, keeping my head down during the swing and rolling my wrists during the follow through. (I am a former baseball player, which explains the last issue). Now, as frustrating as these issues are, how can I expect a different result when I rarely practice at the driving range, or even in my back yard to help with the muscle repetition.  I have not taken any golf lessons recently and I have no one that holds me accountable to fixing any of the above mentioned issues.  We have all heard about the definition of insanity; doing the same thing and expecting different results. The same types of issues come up in the business world all the time.  We always go back to what we know and what we are comfortable with, not necessarily what we need to do in order to change an outcome.  I am the first one to admit that I have always struggled with change, as I am very loyal to my own processes and ways of doing things.  However, if I am going to improve my “golf game”, my behavior needs to change. Below, I have listed some preliminary thoughts on ways to change our behavior in order to change our results.  Keep in mind, this is not a sign of weakness.  In fact, I think it takes a stronger person to ask for help and recognizing a potential struggle. 

1. Hire a professional coach

2. Establish a relationship with a mentor

3. Network with professionals in the same / similar industry

4.  Have an open discussion with your boss and ask them for resource ideas

5. Create a personal development plan and share it with your boss
   

Ponder this:  We use GPS to travel to new places.  Have you updated your “career” GPS system recently?

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About the Author:

Michael Stern is a Vice President in Retail Banking at a local Lancaster County Bank. Putting leadership and mentoring at the center of his day, Michael helps his peers, clients and team achieve better results.

To Learn more about Michael, find him on LinkedIN

Please note: All postings, ideas and thoughts posted on this site are the author's own and do not represent their employers positions, strategies or opinions.