Reshared post from +Google+ for Professional Women
Tired of people not see the value in your knowledge? What about the invites out for a 'free lunch'? There is an expectation that knowledge should be free and it's tough to turn someone 'in need' away. When I looked at it a different way – pointed out by the author of the article – it made me turn my attitude around. It costs me money and time (and a lot of both) to gain the knowledge that others want from me so flippantly. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Now, the tips in this article are great – but only if we put them in place! — +Lynette Young
h/t to +Deborah Ng for the share
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No, You Can't Pick My Brain. It Costs Too Much – Forbes
With the Internet making information so widely available to the world, people often assume that because that information is free, so should the information from your brain. Establish your boundaries a…
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Disclaimer: I haven't read the article yet.
I have to wonder, though: Where would I be without the 'investment' others made in me? Shouldn't those dividends be reinvested?
+Jennifer Archibald – from the article: "My brain costs money to maintain. There’s training, classes to attend, reading (I have to buy books), gaining certifications, costs of memberships so I can network, attending conferences and mastering my skills that all cost me money."
I do all this and more out of my own pocket. Without a constant fire hose of information, I have no materials to create knowledge.
After thinking about this just now, I realized there is a huge difference between information and knowledge. I have both. If someone asked me for a blogging platform recommendation, there are no less than 15 I could state. What that person really wants is to find out the best blogging platform for their needs, resources, experience and desired outcome that fits their level of comfort with technology. To distill the information into knowledge specifically for them takes time and resources of my own.
+Lynette Young Wow! Thanks Lynette. I never looked at it from that perspective before. Being hardwired to help makes it a knee-jerk reaction to give advice, help troubleshoot or offer to do a quick (Fill in production project here) for someone. It's hard enough for me just to not volunteer…asking someone to actually reimburse me for my time just never occurs to me 😉
"Trust me, if they will walk away because they cannot get a freebie, they weren’t meant to be a client and there was no real opportunity in it for you."
Well, if that doesn't just say it all. I will continue to frame things in the context of being better off personally when others are too.
Perhaps that's why I'm on the lower end of the so-called 'success' scale.
+Jennifer Archibald it's all perspective I guess. I consider myself a 'knowledge worker' as what I sell isn't tangible. I've been asked for 'freebies' for a long time even though I hadn't thought of it in that context.
Hi ladies. Interesting conversation. I'm glad my article has sparked conversation across the web. The intention of this article was to focus on habitual brain pickers. You know them, people who constantly keep coming back to you expecting a finished, step by step blueprint given to them. People are reacting in one of two ways to this article. Either they're high-fiving me and agreeing because they've been there, or they're chastising me for being so cold and selfish…which I'm not in the least bit.
To Lynette's point, there is a difference between knowledge and information. I gladly share information all day every day. But when it comes to actually doing work for people, unless I have chosen to do so, volunteered or gifted my services, I expect to be compensated. I think it's harder for women to take this stance. To Jennifer's point, when you have people who readily and openly share with you, it's a wonderful thing. I didn't have that when I started so I made it a point to give back. But I've learned over the years that you have to be careful with how much and to whom you give because some people take advantage. I've learned to say no and value myself.
This is a hard topic for a lot of people. I truly feel for people who struggle with it, which is partly why I wrote it.
Great conversation.
I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO READ YOUR ARTICLE BUT IAGREE TO THIS THAT MOST OF PEOPLE TAKE SERIOUS WRITING VERY LIGHTLY. THEY WANT EVERY THING FREE. A WRITER SPENDS MONEY, TIME AND KNOWLEDGE TO PREPARE AN ARTICLE. HE SHOULD BE HONOURED AND PAID AND PRAISED FOR IT.
The other end of the stick is if you do not make a stand and say enough, you will be using up your time on losers just looking for a free ride. I fell into this and it sucks. You end up doing lots of work for NOTHING.