The Art of Bossing

A little more than one year ago, I had the idea that friends of Bid Boss would enjoy a weekly newsletter about the softer side of business development. This weekly does of mindset, balance, and productivity content would make its appearance in subscribers' inboxes and deliver a little slice of what they needed to support their professional goals.

Genuinely, I loved writing it. It helped me stay grounded in my values and prioritize writing about issues I care about deeply. But the weekly schedule just does not work for me! So after really evaluating what's working, I'm going to take a lesson from myself and let go of what is no longer serving me.

But first, I'm going to share it all with you here.

Each week for the next 30 weeks we'll be featuring content from the Bosscraft newsletter, designed to inspire, encourage, and share what we've learned. Sign up here to receive each post in your inbox.

Hope you enjoy!

Whitney

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Recently in the Bid Boss Clubhouse, we've spent some time talking about SUPPORT. Why? Because we all need it, in every part of our lives - including our work.

And more often than not mission-driven folks like you are asked to give much more support than we get, and - unfortunately - most of us often find that the support we do get misses the mark.

We want you to know that if you need support, you aren't alone.

Asking for what you need is hard.

But once you get into the habit - and we have a few tricks for strengthening those ask muscles - there is so much good that can come of it.

SAY YES TO SAYING NO

So often the additional workload doesn’t feel overwhelming at the time that you said yes. Have you realized how time-consuming a task was only when it was too late? Feeling resentful about the rest of your team taking advantage of your own willingness to help? Well, this is your official permission to stop saying yes and start saying no when you need to.

And the flipside is just the same - asking for help when you want to be the kind of person who can do it yourself isn't a personal failing. The mental block that happens when we ask for support is just that – mental.

It’s your own internal reluctance to ask for assistance.

The whole culture of independence is to blame for that ingrained nature. We are taught from a young age that growing up well means growing up able to do for yourself, rather than let others do for you.

Perhaps the easiest way to overcome the pain of asking for help is to realize how willing most people are to lend a hand.

FLEX YOUR ASKING MUSCLES

The mental block that happens when we ask for support is just that – mental. It’s your own internal reluctance to ask for assistance.

The whole culture of independence is to blame for that ingrained nature. We are taught from a young age that growing up well means growing up able to do for yourself, rather than let others do for you.

Perhaps the easiest way to overcome the pain of asking for help is to realize how willing most people are to lend a hand.

Clearly we are happy to help others. It makes us feel good about our skills, trusted and appreciated by others, and proud of our contributions. So why would you want to take that away from someone else? You don’t, and here’s how to help yourself get over…yourself.

Not sure what language to use? Here is specific language you can use in different scenarios. (article)

Feel good about asking. Unburden yourself of feeling like a burden. (podcast)

Saying no. Because knowing how (and when) to say no to your boss is a good thing for all of us to learn. (article)

Ditch perfectionism. It’s keeping you from success. (article)

Inner critic? You might just be realistic, but you’ve got to be able to tell the difference. (video)