What is an unreasonable request? According to Lisa Haneberg:
"Unreasonable requests are big requests that you are generally too chicken to make. Outrageous requests make great things happen. A well formulated request, when accepted by the person you ask, can reroute your progress and enable you to zoom to success.
Unreasonable requests that are turned down can also serve as important catalysts because often a compromise solution is offered that is still higher than you would have normally expected. Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” and I believe this to be true."
Matt Homann on unreasonable requests
Curt Rosengren on unreasonable requests
Here's my unreasonable request: Watch this video. Then leave a comment with your unreasonable request.
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14 comments:
Dave,
Great idea you just shared! Thank you.
I like this idea, now just pray I'm brave enough to try it.
Honestly though, if more folks would just ask big and get things out on the
table, more exciting things would happen than folks even dream about.
What's my unreasonable request?
Someone hire me to do RPG programming on the side for small projects. Not
something where I have to give up my day job.
Another one?
Someone will to take on an apprentice (me) for a few hours a week, evenings
or weekend, to learn new programming or other skills.
Oh, the second one somewhere in the St. Louis metro please. :)
What's yours?
I want to be able to hang around smart-folk conferences like this around St. Louis, even though my title at work is just "Production Designer".
Well Drew -- you're officially invited!
Join the group here.
Score! Well, that turned out to be completely reasonable.
I would like design to be used as a force to bring peace to the world.
That's my unreasonable request.
I'd also like people to be able to talk about the world without uncomfortable silences, fear, resentment and with excitement and joy of what culture can offer.
That's unreasonable request number two.
I'd like people to give me a cookie (or yummy snack) whenever they see me.
Three.
I would love to do it Chris -- except I happen to be doing a workshop in Toronto that weekend :(
I need help reworking the Meshforum website (and wiki) to be much clearer, more focused, and significently more productive in drawing (and retaining) an audience, attendees, sponsors and speakers.
A further unreasonable request, on Sept 22nd I've aggreed to help Susan Crawford and organize events in San Francisco for OneWebDay. My unreasonable requests - lots of volunteers to help with a series of rolling flashmobs across San Francisco (and the world) to celebrate the Internet; sponsors to cover costs so we can have projectors, screens, bandwidth and kiosks at flash mob sites; and lots and lots of help promoting OneWebDay. :)
(the plan for Sept 22nd is to also possibly hold mini-camps at flash mob sites - i.e. set up a big sheet of white paper, invite participants to suggest topics and then spend 30 minutes or so doing/talking about those topics - in public, outdoor spaces - with some topics being things like "help people set up their first blogs/flickr accounts/tags etc"
Hi Paul,
You weren't wrong! I'd like to do some work together too, and will be sending along a few things to get you started.
d
Hi Dave.
Thanks for the reminder about unreasonable requests. It's a notion I'm familiar with, but haven't practiced enough lately.
My unreasonable request is that you hire me to draw diagrams for you. I've recently finished a master's thesis on how to create effective complex diagrams, and would love the opportunity to continue to work in that domain.
I've just sent a resume, cover letter, and work samples to the opportunities email address. I hope to discuss some possibilities soon.
Thanks, Noah
This really is a great idea, to start of. I've been working on Life-Work-Planning workshops and might want to use that "unre-quest-wall" in courses!
Thank you for sharing Dave!
Thorsten (aka Peter Pen)
Ok, 1st of all, as regards the story on the judge and the peter pulling device he used in open court, I reposted another link to someone's typepad blog that recounts the entire thing at the top of my blog. So you're in luck Dave, you can read the entire sordid story.
2ndly, those requests are all no good. way too safe, icky and reasonable. I mean, as far as unreasonable requests go. Except for Riaz who I've got to hand it to - yours were too esoteric to be reasonable. At least in regards to #1 and #2. I mean basically, you asked for world peace. Good luck on that one. Seriously. As for #3. Sure, if I ever see ya, I'll give ya a brownie or two.
Ok, here's a REAL unreasonable request. I need a job in the sales/operations or investigations arena that pays in the area of 100k + per year. I will travel and will even relocate as long as I can fly home every other weekend or so. I have a four year degree and experience. And there you have it.
Hi Syd!
That doesn't sound so unreasonable to me.
LOL Hi Dave, apparently some of the companies on monster.com don't think so either. Who knew? but anyway, be sure to read the penis pump story about the judge. Its posted near the top of my blog.
Syddie
wish I could've made that get-together in Soulard, I'll bet there were some great ideas exchanged. Here is my unreasonable request,
"I want my job to have more human interaction & travel."
Right now I enjoy my job in the creative field but all my hours are logged behind a monitor, communicating through email.
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