For the past few weeks I’ve watched entrepreneurs I consider more successful to see what they are doing differently than me. The answer that hit me, they seldom ask for permission.
They get more things done quicker. One of the ways you get things done is to following the old saying “it’s easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.” Think about it, asking for permission takes time. First, you have to figure out who you need to ask. Then, you have to ask and finally the other person has to think about it. The reality is you often create the need to ask for permission in your own head and no one really cares if you do “it” or not.
Let’s keep it legal. I’m not talking about breaking the law here. I am, however, not talking about accomplishing small things. There will be rule breaking or bending involved. Things don’t happen by standing still and waiting for the approval of others.
Go big or go home. It’s not that I don’t already move forward without asking permission. The point for me is I am going to start doing it more frequently. I asked the question on Twitter last night “Are you better at asking for permission or begging for forgiveness?” I wasn’t surprised by those who answered because I view them as successful. Also, all who answered made it clear asking for the approval of others is not the path to getting things done and being successful.
Begging for forgiveness implies the decision was wrong in the first place. Sure entrepreneurs make mistakes. Most of us, however, are good decision makers. So, you won’t catch me begging for forgiveness but instead briefly explaining my “mistake,” accepting whatever consequences come along with that and quickly moving on to the next challenge. Sometimes this behavior will have others labeling me brash or a bull in a china shop. So be it.
Permission or forgiveness, what do you think?
Great post Jim – as a cubicle entrepreneur I know how hard it is to get stuck in the “ask for permission” rut and then go home and shoot from the hip. Just have to take it one step at a time.
That's the quote I was trying to think of yesterday when I answered your Twitter question. For the life of me I couldn't remember it.
The problem with asking for permission is you give the chance to be stopped. If you want to achieve something, large or small, you have to do it. No questions asked unless you need help with it.
You will never be able to make everyone happy. So it becomes a problem of asking for permission to appease everyone. And once you start doing that you have to do it for everyone. When you take a step back one day you realize you spent so much time and energy trying to ask for permission you never actually got anything done. You begin to wonder what could have been if you just DID.
Great article Jim!
Yes. Yes. and Yes. Love it. Me too. Could not agree more. Fits with the whole Seth Godin “ship it” mentality, one of the things the fabulous @deziner and I were chatting about last week. I was filling out the online form for the @meetmeme cards for the Linchpin meetup tonight, and when I got to the “What have you shipped lately?” question, frankly, I was stymied. Sure, I just built a great digital group into a 42-year-old agency, in six months, and that's pretty cool. And we've shipped some stuff together. But mostly, we present a ton of smart ideas that clients dig conceptually but may or may not have the vision to invest in. I'd like to see us ALL, in the future, ship more and plan less. And remember, I'm a planner. Here's to “just do it” in our businesses. Cheers.
Great post.
Sue Spaight
Sue, Here's an idea for you….launch a social media campaign for the agency to generate leads and kind of forget to ask if it's OK if you do it. Then, just show up at a meeting with the leads. (disclaimer: if you get fired I can't hire you 🙂 )
That's a great point Joshua when you start to try and appease a group the great idea becomes a watered down not so great idea. Just do it and see how it turns out.
Cubicle farming is rough. I admire your willingness to stick that out while you build something better and more “you” on the outside. As long as your “steps” involve shipping it as Sue discussed above, you'll get where you are going.
Thanks for the reminder. I've been trying to make more decisions, even if they are the wrong ones. I tend to be wishy-washy. Or do I?
I find this true in small decisions as well…it's easy to see who has a more Alpha/leader personality. I being at school, and hearing from classmates, “…but you have to…” I don't have to do anything, that wasn't strictly outlined beforehand by school parameters. Sometimes it's a decision as simple as who is willing to open a certain door. The whole “…but are we allowed to?” mentality slows a lot of people progress.
“wrong” is such a tricky word. Better to make a decision move forward and learn something good or bad from the experience than to sit still IMHO.
If more people replaced “…but are we allowed to?” with “Who the hell says we can't and why?” a whole lot more good and productive work would be getting done. Our society has become just a bit risk adverse for my taste.
Funny you should say that. I did launch a Twitter profile for the agency (no need to ask) and the team is already meeting this aft to plan the rest of the SocMe strategy. : )
I've definitely had this situation a few times in the past few weeks. Sometimes, you just need to set aside that voice in your head saying you should ask and instead just act.
Well, how cool is that? – Very cool! (uh-oh I'm answering my own questions….)
I'd argue you need to almost always set it aside. I'm pretty sure for me it's what Seth Godin terms the Lizard Brain or the Resistance. It's not good. *shakes head* not for me anyway.