Borrow a Cup of Sugar!
When was the last time you borrowed a cup of sugar? That’s what Leah Eichler asked a small group of women at an 85 Broads Toronto recent Women and Media event. If a cup of sugar is a metaphor for anything that you need, you’ll realize that most of us do not know how to ask for what we need. Eichler used herself as an example, explaining how she worked hard with the expectation that she would be rewarded with promotions. Unfortunately, working hard is seldom ever enough.
With that epiphany, Eichler decided to start her own firm Femme-O-Nomics, and one of the things she has done is to create r/ally, an app, which is a social collaboration tool, which allows its users the ability to ask for what they need, and to fill the needs of others. Although it’s early days for the app, and it is not yet available for all platforms, Eichler was able to share a few success stories. In one example, someone who uses r/ally posted that she was looking for a job in Texas, that person who had the courage to ask for what she needed has had two employment interviews so far and is waiting to learn if she has received an offer. Even if she doesn't receive a job offer, this is a demonstration that Leah Eichler is on to something.
One exercise Eichler conducted during the event, was to have everyone present, write on a piece of paper what she needed and then fold the piece of paper. Each person was asked to take one folded piece of paper and try to fulfill the person’s request. When you think about it, this is a variation of borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor. If someone asked you, “When was the last time you borrowed a cup of sugar?” What would your response be? How can you help those around you who want to borrow a cup of sugar?
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