Lay Your Motivations Bare

Everybody has an agenda.

Even if we say we
don’t, that’s still an agenda.

But there’s no reason to feel guilty about that. If we want
something, there’s no shame in making some noise, letting whoever has it know
that we want it, and respectfully reminding them why we deserve it.

When we start our phone calls or emails with, “Everybody has
an agenda, and here’s mine,” we still lay a foundation of respect, establish
expectational clarity and frame the conversation with candor and transparency.
To do otherwise is to do a disservice.

What’s more, because so few people are willing to lay their
motivations bare, the unexpectedness of this approach makes the encounter more
memorable, and often times, more successful.