Give Someone A Chance, Get A Chance

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Originally uploaded by Lloyd Davis

Seth Godin, infitnitely wise, has some quality advice on how to obtain the benefit of the doubt from your customers or boss.

- Be the underdog. Nextel or AT&T? Nextel often got the benefit of the doubt.
-Underpromise. Build up expectations of difficulty. Magicians are really good at this. If people think what you're doing is really difficult, they root for you.
- Underhype. If others are building you up day after day, it's easy to root against you. The Germans have a word for everything and they have a word for this: schadenfreude.
- Call them on it. If you think people are being perfectionists and not giving you a chance, ask for one. It's easier to ask for a chance to excel than it is to ask forgiveness if you fail.

I'm going to make a conscious effort to improve on these points, because I often do the opposite.