Who to Ask for What

If we’re going to bring out everything we’re meant to in this world, we aren’t going to be able to do this alone. I’m convinced that if you can pull off your vision all by yourself, then your vision is way too small. Today I’m sharing a filter I have used for over a decade when it comes to inviting people to help me fulfill a significant vision I’m pursuing. I’ve used this when making staff hires at Epic Church. I have employed this same filter when asking people to write endorsements for my Bring It Out book. What I’m sharing with you has unlocked so much clarity for the leaders I’m coaching. When it comes to making the right asks of others, pay attention to these 3 qualities: capacity, desire, and availability.

Capacity

By capacity, I mean someone’s ability to do a particular thing. What kind of help do you need? What does someone need to be able to do well so they can serve this part of the vision you have in mind? As you evaluate your options, know that a high-capacity person might not have the same capacity in every area.

Desire

If someone has capacity but they don’t have the desire to be part of what you’re doing, they’re probably not going to make much difference. We can sometimes change the level of desire someone has by casting a compelling vision for the kind of thing we’re doing and by telling them why we think they’d be the perfect fit for this certain part. 

Availability

If someone has the capacity and the desire to help you in a significant way, but they barely have any time to help, you want to be very strategic with your ask of them. My wisdom table is filled with people who have a ton of capacity and a strong desire to help me, but their time is incredibly limited. (By the way, I write extensively on the idea of building a wisdom table for your life in my upcoming book, Bring It Out.) Do you think I should tell these individuals that since they can’t meet with me weekly, I don’t want to meet at all? No way! I value them so much that if I can only have a monthly conversation with them, their wisdom is so valuable that I’m more than content with that frequency.

Why All of This Matters So Much

If you don’t evaluate people based on the sum total of these three characteristics, here’s where you could go wrong:

• You’ll ask people to do whatever, rather than be strategic about the kind of thing you ask them to do.

• You’ll miss out on the people who have a ton of capacity, but low availability. You’ll think they’re too busy, so you imagine they have nothing significant to offer you.

• You’ll also miss out on the people who have a ton of availability, but low capacity. You’ll think they have nothing to offer, when they have so much time to offer. Find things that you don’t have time for, but these are things that you could really use some help with.

• When you find people who score high in every category, hire them!