How canal works to allow a boat to travel uphill

Canal Locks

There's something remarkable about a boat travelling uphill. Canal locks are a simple yet ingenious system that has made it possible for centuries. How a Canal Lock Works The humble lock gate has more to it than first appears. Here's how one of the most common types works. For a boat approaching a lock from below and meeting a closed gate: 1. Bring the water to your level Close the top gate to seal the lock. Then, open the sluice (or paddle) in the lower gate — often a sliding panel — by cranking it with the ever-handy windlass (a simple metal crank that fits onto square spindles on the lock mechanism). 2. Enter and seal the gate Once the water is at the lower level, you can push the giant counterweights to open the gate and steer the boat inside. Don't nudge too far forward, or you'll bump the cill, a stone ledge at the top end of the lock. Close the gate behind you and shut the sluice to stop water escaping. 3. Raise the water level With the lock sealed, open the top sluices. These often feed through side channels or culverts, letting water in gently from upstream, usually below the surface, to reduce turbulence. You'll gradually float upward as the lock fills. 4. Head upstream Once the water level matches the upper pound (the upper stretch of water), open the top gates, close the sluices, and cruise on your way. The same principles, in reverse, work for approaching the lock from above. As you can imagine, operating locks is much harder work if you're boating solo. Water Supply for Canals One thing that makes all this possible is a steady supply of water. You can't rise in a lock without water to fill it. So, canal builders had to ensure the canal had enough water to stay navigable and to keep the locks functioning. For some of the London canals, the builders created huge reservoirs with long feeder channels to ensure the canals had enough water. In some places, water is pumped back uphill to be reused at the top of a flight. Canal water doesn't flow much — it's a closed system in many places. I'd heard that, in principle, it only takes one lock's worth of water for a boat to travel down a whole flight of locks: each lockful of water carries the boat one step down and ends up in the next pound. So, a boat going down several locks essentially transfers a single chamber's worth of water from the top to the bottom. But in practice, how much water gets used depends on boat traffic from either side, whether you meet locks full or empty, and water-saving features such as side pools. In my research, it wasn't as simple as it seemed. The Mitre Gate Holding back tonnes of water is no small task. Mitre gates are angled to meet, pointing upstream and forming a shallow V. This shape means the water pressure pushes the gates closed, creating a tight seal — the water effectively locks itself in. A stone arch bridge uses a similar principle—compression strengthens the structure under pressure. Leonardo da Vinci sketched an early design for the mitre gate around 1500. The design still looks like a modern lock gate. Not bad for an invention 500+ years ago. Understandable Engineering at Large Canal locks are like playing with water in the bath but on a massive scale. They're inherently satisfying to watch and operate. At their peak, they revolutionised transport across much of Europe and beyond. The same basic idea still operates in the Panama Canal, where giant ships are lifted 26 metres over the isthmus simply by filling and draining the lock chambers in sequence. The dimensions of a lock determine the size of the boat that can pass through. Panamax is the maximum size a ship can be to fit through the Panama Canal—a constraint that shapes shipbuilding worldwide. In the UK, Tardebigge Locks has 30 locks to raise boats 67m over just 3.6km. Not to be outdone, Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal has 29 Locks, 16 of which are in a straight line, rising 72m over 2.1km. For a single, remarkable lock, have a look at Falkirk Wheel lock in Scotland. It's the "one and only rotating boat lift", which replaces 11 locks with a 2 min rotating journey lifting boats through the air. Full disclosure: We recently took a canal boat trip on London's Regents Canal, including a visit to London's Canal Museum. Far from its industrial heyday, the whole place was buzzing with people out for leisure up and down the length of the journey. The towpath—horses towed the barges by walking alongside—was packed with walkers, joggers and cyclists. And it never failed to fascinate when the boats moved up or down a lock. Engineering at work! Related Ideas to Canal Locks Also see: Everyone's a Geek About Something Buoyancy: how do mega ships float? The Plimsoll Line Siphon Kayak vs Canoe Strahler Stream Order Iceberg orientation Why ice doesn't sink Naismith's Rule (including the term "lock miles") Rivers and Buckets…There's something remarkable about a boat travelling uphill. Canal locks are a simple yet ingenious system that has made it possible for centuries. How a Canal Lock Works The humble lock gate has more to it than first appears. Here's how one of the most common types works. For a boat approaching a lock from below and meeting a closed gate: 1. Bring the water to your level Close the top gate to seal the lock. Then, open the sluice (or paddle) in the lower gate — often a sliding panel — by cranking it with the ever-handy windlass (a simple metal crank that fits onto square spindles on the lock mechanism). 2. Enter and seal the gate Once the water is at the lower level, you can push the giant counterweights to open the gate and steer the boat inside. Don't nudge too far forward, or you'll bump the cill, a stone ledge at the top end of the lock. Close the gate behind you and shut the sluice to stop water escaping. 3. Raise the water level With the lock sealed, open the top sluices. These often feed through side channels or culverts, letting water in gently from upstream, usually below the surface, to reduce turbulence. You'll gradually float upward as the lock fills. 4. Head upstream Once the water level matches the upper pound (the upper stretch of water), open the top gates, close the sluices, and cruise on your way. The same principles, in reverse, work for approaching the lock from above. As you can imagine, operating locks is much harder work if you're boating solo. Water Supply for Canals One thing that makes all this possible is a steady supply of water. You can't rise in a lock without water to fill it. So, canal builders had to ensure the canal had enough water to stay navigable and to keep the locks functioning. For some of the London canals, the builders created huge reservoirs with long feeder channels to ensure the canals had enough water. In some places, water is pumped back uphill to be reused at the top of a flight. Canal water doesn't flow much — it's a closed system in many places. I'd heard that, in principle, it only takes one lock's worth of water for a boat to travel down a whole flight of locks: each lockful of water carries the boat one step down and ends up in the next pound. So, a boat going down several locks essentially transfers a single chamber's worth of water from the top to the bottom. But in practice, how much water gets used depends on boat traffic from either side, whether you meet locks full or empty, and water-saving features such as side pools. In my research, it wasn't as simple as it seemed. The Mitre Gate Holding back tonnes of water is no small task. Mitre gates are angled to meet, pointing upstream and forming a shallow V. This shape means the water pressure pushes the gates closed, creating a tight seal — the water effectively locks itself in. A stone arch bridge uses a similar principle—compression strengthens the structure under pressure. Leonardo da Vinci sketched an early design for the mitre gate around 1500. The design still looks like a modern lock gate. Not bad for an invention 500+ years ago. Understandable Engineering at Large Canal locks are like playing with water in the bath but on a massive scale. They're inherently satisfying to watch and operate. At their peak, they revolutionised transport across much of Europe and beyond. The same basic idea still operates in the Panama Canal, where giant ships are lifted 26 metres over the isthmus simply by filling and draining the lock chambers in sequence. The dimensions of a lock determine the size of the boat that can pass through. Panamax is the maximum size a ship can be to fit through the Panama Canal—a constraint that shapes shipbuilding worldwide. In the UK, Tardebigge Locks has 30 locks to raise boats 67m over just 3.6km. Not to be outdone, Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal has 29 Locks, 16 of which are in a straight line, rising 72m over 2.1km. For a single, remarkable lock, have a look at Falkirk Wheel lock in Scotland. It's the "one and only rotating boat lift", which replaces 11 locks with a 2 min rotating journey lifting boats through the air. Full disclosure: We recently took a canal boat trip on London's Regents Canal, including a visit to London's Canal Museum. Far from its industrial heyday, the whole place was buzzing with people out for leisure up and down the length of the journey. The towpath—horses towed the barges by walking alongside—was packed with walkers, joggers and cyclists. And it never failed to fascinate when the boats moved up or down a lock. Engineering at work! Related Ideas to Canal Locks Also see: Everyone's a Geek About Something Buoyancy: how do mega ships float? The Plimsoll Line Siphon Kayak vs Canoe Strahler Stream Order Iceberg orientation Why ice doesn't sink Naismith's Rule (including the term "lock miles") Rivers and Buckets

Everyone's a geek about something with people geeking out on many different activities

Everyone's a Geek About Something — Revised and Expanded

Are you passionate about something? Do you know something inside out where others barely give it a glance? As a schoolboy, I thought I was into birds—until my dad and I stayed with some family friends who were truly into birding. They had a powerful telescope trained on the birds at the feeder in their garden. They had crystal-clear binoculars we used on a bird walk, which showed me birds clearer and closer than I'd ever seen. They knew what birds to look for and had tape recordings of specific bird calls that brought them to nearby bushes. They talked us through trips they'd been around the world to spot rare and remarkable birds. Spending time with them changed how I saw birds forever. It was impossible to be around them and not start to love birds. There are classic disciplines for geekiness: science, maths, computers, birdwatching, plane spotting, model trains. But over the years, I've seen people geek out about so much more: gardening, plants, pottery, DJ'ing, Pokemon, sport, skiing, cycling, endurance, beekeeping, writing, business, spreadsheets, coding, magic tricks, sailing, a musical instrument, nightclubs, restaurants, personal development, gaming, crypto, cooking, travel, film, thrillers, local history, deals, football boots, coaching, shopping, clothes, cars, building, cameras, art, museums, relationships, pets, insects, decorating, and on and on. If you don't pay close attention to Premier League football, it might be boring, but if you follow every detail, it can be engrossing. I didn't think much of textiles, but I found it fascinating after spending an afternoon weaving in Laos. One of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing is Take Notice. Being a geek is noticing everything about something. It can also Connect you with others and keep you Learning—two more of the five. The word geek derives from a word meaning fool or freak as if it's foolish to devote so much attention and time to one area. But the truth is, as the physicist Richard Feynman says: "Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough." And the writer Henry Miller wrote: "The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." Some of us had "publicly being a geek about something" trained out of us at school. The challenges of trying to fit in, to look cool, to make ourselves less vulnerable, to conform to social stereotypes (pretty, sporty, funny...), and to avoid snarky comments. As I've gotten older and more confident in myself, it's easier to unashamedly be a geek about something. I still meet with sarcasm and raised eyebrows at times, but now I'm comfortable enough to brush it off (most of the time). I love this quote from Simon Pegg about it: "Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It's basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating." Let's embrace our inner geeks. Dive deep into what fascinates you. Try not to dismiss others' passions until you've had a go at getting into depth yourself. Their joy could be just the same that you feel with something else. Everyone's a geek about something. And that's wonderful. This is a revised and expanded version of my original sketch, which had just a few passions. I've thought about it so much since I first heard the phrase—I couldn't remember where—that I thought it needed an update. And we had a blast talking about this on the podcast. When putting together a draft of a Sketchplanations book, this was my first title idea (preview). Related Ideas to Everyone's a Geek About Something Also see: 5 Ways to Wellbeing Flow The writer's in the writing. The artist's in the art. Discovering truth and beauty The Learning Pit Eponym One-buttock playing…Are you passionate about something? Do you know something inside out where others barely give it a glance? As a schoolboy, I thought I was into birds—until my dad and I stayed with some family friends who were truly into birding. They had a powerful telescope trained on the birds at the feeder in their garden. They had crystal-clear binoculars we used on a bird walk, which showed me birds clearer and closer than I'd ever seen. They knew what birds to look for and had tape recordings of specific bird calls that brought them to nearby bushes. They talked us through trips they'd been around the world to spot rare and remarkable birds. Spending time with them changed how I saw birds forever. It was impossible to be around them and not start to love birds. There are classic disciplines for geekiness: science, maths, computers, birdwatching, plane spotting, model trains. But over the years, I've seen people geek out about so much more: gardening, plants, pottery, DJ'ing, Pokemon, sport, skiing, cycling, endurance, beekeeping, writing, business, spreadsheets, coding, magic tricks, sailing, a musical instrument, nightclubs, restaurants, personal development, gaming, crypto, cooking, travel, film, thrillers, local history, deals, football boots, coaching, shopping, clothes, cars, building, cameras, art, museums, relationships, pets, insects, decorating, and on and on. If you don't pay close attention to Premier League football, it might be boring, but if you follow every detail, it can be engrossing. I didn't think much of textiles, but I found it fascinating after spending an afternoon weaving in Laos. One of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing is Take Notice. Being a geek is noticing everything about something. It can also Connect you with others and keep you Learning—two more of the five. The word geek derives from a word meaning fool or freak as if it's foolish to devote so much attention and time to one area. But the truth is, as the physicist Richard Feynman says: "Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough." And the writer Henry Miller wrote: "The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." Some of us had "publicly being a geek about something" trained out of us at school. The challenges of trying to fit in, to look cool, to make ourselves less vulnerable, to conform to social stereotypes (pretty, sporty, funny...), and to avoid snarky comments. As I've gotten older and more confident in myself, it's easier to unashamedly be a geek about something. I still meet with sarcasm and raised eyebrows at times, but now I'm comfortable enough to brush it off (most of the time). I love this quote from Simon Pegg about it: "Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It's basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating." Let's embrace our inner geeks. Dive deep into what fascinates you. Try not to dismiss others' passions until you've had a go at getting into depth yourself. Their joy could be just the same that you feel with something else. Everyone's a geek about something. And that's wonderful. This is a revised and expanded version of my original sketch, which had just a few passions. I've thought about it so much since I first heard the phrase—I couldn't remember where—that I thought it needed an update. And we had a blast talking about this on the podcast. When putting together a draft of a Sketchplanations book, this was my first title idea (preview). Related Ideas to Everyone's a Geek About Something Also see: 5 Ways to Wellbeing Flow The writer's in the writing. The artist's in the art. Discovering truth and beauty The Learning Pit Eponym One-buttock playing

An illustration for Kahlil Gibran’s On Marriage from The Prophet: an oak and a cypress tree with two figures holding hands, grow not in each other’s shadow.

Grow not in each other's shadow

The reading from our wedding I remember most clearly is a passage from Kahlil Gibran's beautiful book, The Prophet. We were drawn to it then, and I still am now. The end of the passage offers one of the most beautiful, uplifting, and—at the time—surprising perspectives on marriage. "And stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow." From the outside, marriage often seems like a complete merging—becoming one, but perhaps also losing part of yourself in the process. I love that this passage says that two people can and should unite and support each other without lessening each other individually. We retain what makes us ourselves while being stronger together. The image of the oak and the cypress has stayed with me ever since our wedding day. The full passage from the Prophet is below: On Marriage, by Kahlil Gibran Then Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage, master? And he answered saying: You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow. Related Ideas to Grow Not in Each Other's Shadow Also see: The 4 Horsemen of Relationship Apocalypse Everyone's a Geek About Something Second cousins once removed Fact tennis Notice when you're happy…The reading from our wedding I remember most clearly is a passage from Kahlil Gibran's beautiful book, The Prophet. We were drawn to it then, and I still am now. The end of the passage offers one of the most beautiful, uplifting, and—at the time—surprising perspectives on marriage. "And stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow." From the outside, marriage often seems like a complete merging—becoming one, but perhaps also losing part of yourself in the process. I love that this passage says that two people can and should unite and support each other without lessening each other individually. We retain what makes us ourselves while being stronger together. The image of the oak and the cypress has stayed with me ever since our wedding day. The full passage from the Prophet is below: On Marriage, by Kahlil Gibran Then Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage, master? And he answered saying: You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow. Related Ideas to Grow Not in Each Other's Shadow Also see: The 4 Horsemen of Relationship Apocalypse Everyone's a Geek About Something Second cousins once removed Fact tennis Notice when you're happy

F-Shaped Reading

Many of us absorb and sift through huge quantities of information on the web daily. We've trained ourselves to quickly pull out the most important information and decide if the rest is worth our time. When this happens, which is most of the time, people commonly use F-Shaped Reading. What is F-Shaped Reading? F-Shaped Reading is a pattern seen in eye-tracking studies of people reading content on the web that seems to follow the shape of an F. That looks like scanning the top words most, maybe making it to the end of a headline. Then moving down the left-hand side and heading right again when we hit another sub-head or line that draws our attention. In languages that read right-to-left, you can see a reverse F-shape. We don't always read in an F-shape. There are several other common text-scanning patterns, such as spotted, layer-cake, marking, bypassing or commitment patterns—getting stuck in and reading the whole thing. However, an F-shaped reading, first identified around 2006, is still common and used on mobile devices. F-Shaped Reading is about reading content. It's not how we might scan a shiny new web page with fancy navigation and CTAs (Calls To Action). Why an F-Shape? F-Shaped Reading means that your headline and your first sub-head matter a lot. And also, the content on the left matters more as a way to draw people into your work. But it doesn't have to be this way. An F-shape arises because we're trying to be efficient and decide if this page is worth more of our time. It's hard to get that from a block of text, so we improvise—getting an idea of the content areas from the headlines and trying to see which content blocks, if any, are relevant to read by scanning quickly down the page. I'm not too proud to admit that you may be scanning this. Improving on F-Shaped Reading and Helping Our Readers F-Shaped Reading, to my knowledge, is from the NN Group, who also has a comprehensive article on it. They have a useful list of antidotes, which I paraphrase below, together with a few additions of my own: Put the most important information first Structure with headings and subheadings Front-load words in headings and bullets with the most information (check the first word of the titles in this post) Group related content visually — see 7 Gestalt principles Highlight important content Ensure links have information-bearing words (information scent)—rewrite to avoid "click here" Use lists Cut unnecessary content Avoid big blocks of text and use a sketch instead (Sketchplanation anyone?) =) Use visuals and captions as gateways to content Related Ideas to F-Shaped Reading Also see: Happy Talk Must Die Gestalt Principles The Blur Your Eyes Test Front-load names to cue attention Skeuomorph Micro-editing redundant words Let your data speak for itself Progressive enhancement—mobile first Mobile is snorkelling. Desktop is diving (less true these days) Dark patterns: using design to deceive…Many of us absorb and sift through huge quantities of information on the web daily. We've trained ourselves to quickly pull out the most important information and decide if the rest is worth our time. When this happens, which is most of the time, people commonly use F-Shaped Reading. What is F-Shaped Reading? F-Shaped Reading is a pattern seen in eye-tracking studies of people reading content on the web that seems to follow the shape of an F. That looks like scanning the top words most, maybe making it to the end of a headline. Then moving down the left-hand side and heading right again when we hit another sub-head or line that draws our attention. In languages that read right-to-left, you can see a reverse F-shape. We don't always read in an F-shape. There are several other common text-scanning patterns, such as spotted, layer-cake, marking, bypassing or commitment patterns—getting stuck in and reading the whole thing. However, an F-shaped reading, first identified around 2006, is still common and used on mobile devices. F-Shaped Reading is about reading content. It's not how we might scan a shiny new web page with fancy navigation and CTAs (Calls To Action). Why an F-Shape? F-Shaped Reading means that your headline and your first sub-head matter a lot. And also, the content on the left matters more as a way to draw people into your work. But it doesn't have to be this way. An F-shape arises because we're trying to be efficient and decide if this page is worth more of our time. It's hard to get that from a block of text, so we improvise—getting an idea of the content areas from the headlines and trying to see which content blocks, if any, are relevant to read by scanning quickly down the page. I'm not too proud to admit that you may be scanning this. Improving on F-Shaped Reading and Helping Our Readers F-Shaped Reading, to my knowledge, is from the NN Group, who also has a comprehensive article on it. They have a useful list of antidotes, which I paraphrase below, together with a few additions of my own: Put the most important information first Structure with headings and subheadings Front-load words in headings and bullets with the most information (check the first word of the titles in this post) Group related content visually — see 7 Gestalt principles Highlight important content Ensure links have information-bearing words (information scent)—rewrite to avoid "click here" Use lists Cut unnecessary content Avoid big blocks of text and use a sketch instead (Sketchplanation anyone?) =) Use visuals and captions as gateways to content Related Ideas to F-Shaped Reading Also see: Happy Talk Must Die Gestalt Principles The Blur Your Eyes Test Front-load names to cue attention Skeuomorph Micro-editing redundant words Let your data speak for itself Progressive enhancement—mobile first Mobile is snorkelling. Desktop is diving (less true these days) Dark patterns: using design to deceive

Chart showing the chances of getting what you want if you ask for what you want vs if you don't

Asking for What You Want

It took me a long time in my professional life to learn that my chances of getting what I wanted increased significantly if I asked for it. It seems obvious, but somehow, between politeness, awkwardness, fear of rejection, or humility, I forgot. As a child, I had no hesitation in asking for things. But somewhere along the way, I got out of the habit. Like in a relationship, asking for what you want avoids others having to guess—and potentially getting it wrong. If no one knows what you need, it's easy to feel overlooked, even when no one meant to ignore you. That's not to say asking is easy or without risk. Social norms, power dynamics, and biases mean that the same request can be received very differently depending on who asks. In some cases, asking outright might even backfire. But when possible, asking remains a powerful tool. Sometimes, asking is an obligation. If you're seething with resentment because you stayed late at work when you really needed to be back early today, that serves no one very well. You might do a worse job and be unhappy to boot. If there's something you need to be happy in your job and your manager doesn't know, it's hard for them to help. Twenty years ago, my wife and I went on an expedition to climb Mt Kenya. As we reached camp on the second day of hiking, one group member shared that he couldn't eat any foods containing gluten. By then, finding alternatives was challenging—the meals had been planned and packed days before—and jeopardised the whole trip. To ask for what you want, you must first figure out what you want. This isn't always straightforward, and it's easy to drift along without thinking about what you'd like and where you want to go. Doing the hard work to figure that out helps you and those you work with when planning and opportunities for change arise. You might never get what you ask for. But I've found that even when I didn't get what I wanted at the time, I sometimes got what I asked for later. When people know what you're looking for, they're more likely to think of you when the right moment comes. Is there something you want but haven't actually asked for? Maybe now's the time. "You get in life what you have the courage to ask for." — Oprah Winfrey (supposedly) Related Ideas Also see: Leading from Any Chair Manager time, maker time What Drives Us: Autonomy Mastery Purpose Whose Job Is It?: The Responsibility Poem The Accountability Ladder…It took me a long time in my professional life to learn that my chances of getting what I wanted increased significantly if I asked for it. It seems obvious, but somehow, between politeness, awkwardness, fear of rejection, or humility, I forgot. As a child, I had no hesitation in asking for things. But somewhere along the way, I got out of the habit. Like in a relationship, asking for what you want avoids others having to guess—and potentially getting it wrong. If no one knows what you need, it's easy to feel overlooked, even when no one meant to ignore you. That's not to say asking is easy or without risk. Social norms, power dynamics, and biases mean that the same request can be received very differently depending on who asks. In some cases, asking outright might even backfire. But when possible, asking remains a powerful tool. Sometimes, asking is an obligation. If you're seething with resentment because you stayed late at work when you really needed to be back early today, that serves no one very well. You might do a worse job and be unhappy to boot. If there's something you need to be happy in your job and your manager doesn't know, it's hard for them to help. Twenty years ago, my wife and I went on an expedition to climb Mt Kenya. As we reached camp on the second day of hiking, one group member shared that he couldn't eat any foods containing gluten. By then, finding alternatives was challenging—the meals had been planned and packed days before—and jeopardised the whole trip. To ask for what you want, you must first figure out what you want. This isn't always straightforward, and it's easy to drift along without thinking about what you'd like and where you want to go. Doing the hard work to figure that out helps you and those you work with when planning and opportunities for change arise. You might never get what you ask for. But I've found that even when I didn't get what I wanted at the time, I sometimes got what I asked for later. When people know what you're looking for, they're more likely to think of you when the right moment comes. Is there something you want but haven't actually asked for? Maybe now's the time. "You get in life what you have the courage to ask for." — Oprah Winfrey (supposedly) Related Ideas Also see: Leading from Any Chair Manager time, maker time What Drives Us: Autonomy Mastery Purpose Whose Job Is It?: The Responsibility Poem The Accountability Ladder