Business Tip You Need To Know

Let me share with you a business tip that I picked up from a friend.

I was out with my friend one day. In reality, he is a senior optometrist at the large hospital where I am based right now. When I mean a senior optometrist I mean someone whose status is of the consultant level. I'm referring to a man whose status is far higher than mine. Someone I looked up to as a mentor or coach. Someone I want to emulate.

Now you're wondering why I just called him friend regarding his status. I'll tell you.

There is one thing, though, about him. He prefers that I address him as his friend rather than as sir. He insisted on it , "I find it too weighty to refer to him that way." And warns me if I call him using a different name.

He says that I should get used to being his friend rather than thinking of him as someone on a high and lofty platform which I hope to someday reach.

Why? Because if I consider him a friend, I will feel more at ease around him and will feel free to ask him any questions I like. That's because I already consider him a buddy, and as such, I will undoubtedly pick up a lot from him. However, if it were the other way around, I might be afraid to ask him questions for fear of upsetting him. As a result, I won't learn as much as I would like to because I won't question him frequently.

That idea got to me and I had to put in in a typical Nigerian Boss/employee relationship.Consider it from this angle. In the system in Nigeria. If you have ever paid to study a skill, been a student under someone's instruction, or have a boss. You'll concur with me that you don't know all the basics if because your superior refused to tell you that. Why? Because they believe that if they provide too much information to you, you will surpass them. The business community in Nigeria is rife with this mindset.

Now Imagine that you become friends with your employer. You might naturally assert that it is impossible. But you may truly earn your boss's complete trust such that you feel completely at ease with him.

Let's be clear about something. You'll agree with me that you're incredibly open with a friend who is probably in the same age range. You can talk and gist for a very long time. You can be frank with the person about any problems you are having. anything, including your relationship, health, and secrets. And in the greatest friendly fashion possible, he shares his heart with you and gives you advice. A good friend will go above and beyond to see that you are successful. There is a limit to how much information someone can know about you if they are not a close buddy.

Now, the business world operates similarly. If your mentor or supervisor allows you to be so open with him, he might be reluctant to teach you some things out of concern that you will surpass him. Or perhaps he believes you shouldn't. However, when you converse with him in a friendly manner, you notice that you are picking up the knowledge without his knowledge.

Since I discovered that tip from my friend, this has always been how I do things. When I move somewhere, I make an effort to win over my boss or mentor. I gave up my selfishness to accomplish that goal, and whenever I do, I try to observe the strategies he or she employs to be successful. I then apply it to my own life.

You could wonder why undertake all that just to find out why you won't be receiving a pay raise. Look, getting a pay raise is also a good idea, but do you want to work all your life? Do you not aspire to be your own boss?

Why not ask for what they know instead of what they have?