Matt Abrahams

Just jump right in and then build the rest of the story.

A lot of us, well, it was a rainy day, and then it was this, and it was that.

And you just get to the story first.

So if you parachute in and you remind yourself to be concise and clear, you're going to tell more engaging and better stories.

Several people asked how to ask for a raise.

There are several characteristics I'd like people to think about when you ask for something that you want, especially from a boss or an authority figure.

First, think about context.

Look at your boss's schedule before you ask for a raise.

Are you the fifth meeting in a row before you go in?

Maybe it's better to go tomorrow when you're early.

So context matters.

I have a colleague who studied parole decisions judges make, and he found that decisions are different before lunch and after lunch, even though the cases are the same.

When you ask, you have to think about that.

Second, when positioning yourself,

Think about from your boss's perspective, what are the criteria they would think about in terms of giving a raise?

Often we come and say, well, I've done this and I've done this and I've done this and this colleague got that.

Think about what value you have brought to them.

So approach it from their perspective and think about how you can position it so that you are demonstrating your value again from their perspective.

And you should practice.

You should role play.