Say the Thing You Want
14 hours ago
- People often stay silent in 1:1s due to fear of seeming presumptuous, risky, or exposed.
- Keeping desires hidden prevents managers from offering help or opportunities.
- An engineer who explicitly asks for a role is more likely to get it than one who assumes the manager knows.
- Even attentive managers have incomplete information; voicing goals provides a map or constructive feedback.
- Saying a goal out loud turns it from a daydream into a real commitment, making it harder to ignore.
- The risk of backlash is low; it's better to find out early if a manager is unsupportive.
- Simple phrases like 'I'm interested in leading a project' can start the conversation.