On one hand, as a society, we put an incredible amount of value on innovation, “leading the way,” the “rebel without a cause” decisiveness displayed by a variety of prominent cultural icons…
On the other, we hold co-workers and leaders accountable for being “team players’ and for gaining consensus before acting. We single out people who just “go for it” as individualists who don’t take the group’s needs into consideration.
So, what’s the right answer? Is there?
Asking for Permission
There is definitely value in gaining buy-in from your team and other influential characters in your work life. For starters, it’s much more likely that you will have people on board with your ideas before ever launching. This may equate to added help and encouragement as you move forward with your plans… perhaps a helping hand or two when implementation proves more difficult than expected.
That said, and despite our society’s emphasis on being a team player; it often seems that people use asking for permission as a crutch.
Yes, I know we would all like to believe that team players are in it for the team… that they live and breath for the company and, in their off time, dream about how to make work a better place for everyone. But, the truth is, there are very few altruistic beings in this world. Most everyone has a “what’s in it for me?” mindset that guides their decision making. Further, safety in consensus breeds a protective mindset, which in turn gives way to a protective stance in work behavior.
Getting buy-in from others is a pretty convenient way of covering your a$$ should your idea end up becoming a professional fail whale.
Asking for Forgiveness
Just go for it! What’s the worst that can happen? No guts, no glory! Right?
As I’ve asked around on this topic, I’ve found that perceptions of this question are highly dependent on the audience. Entrepreneurs, innovators and creatives tend to ask for forgiveness. They are often times motivated by their inner-desires to take risks and make change. To ask for permission is to trust their instincts and creative spirits in the hands of people who may not share the same amount of passion or vision for the topic.
With that in mind, it’s also important to point out that innovators are often times action-oriented. They have lost the inner-desire to always be right – to never make mistakes. Therefore, it’s much more tolerable for them to step off the cliff every now and again. They have internalized the realization that they will indeed become stronger from their mistakes (so long as it doesn’t kill them, of course).
What Do You Have To Lose?
The repercussions for just “going for it” are usually greater in our minds than in reality. We have an uncanny ability to build up these other-worldly disaster scenarios that, often times, keep us from taking action… taking risks.
The truth is, in most cases, you will be just fine. You may have to readjust if your action proves to be a mistake… but, that doesn’t mean that the sky is going to fall down and that you are condemned to spend the rest of your years on this earth as a failure. Nope! You get up, dust yourself off and move on to the next thing – this time armed with new knowledge from your past experience.
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed an undertone that companies are starting to focus more on hiring people who have made mistakes. People who make major change tend to screw up – it’s the nature of the beast and a part of what will make a person more successful in the future.
Tell me how many times you’ve screwed up and I’ll tell you how successful you’ll be! 
P.S. When you are faced with a hard decision, try this. Imagine that you are at the end (laying on your deathbed). At that moment, are you wishing that you would have gone for it or chosen to play it safe? Do you wish that you would have spoken your mind? Do you wish that you would have asked for permission or forgiveness? The answer you come to from this perspective should help guide your decisions and, better yet, force you to live based on your values.
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