Today's joint is a self-help post for the kids out there who can't keep their cool when someone with power taps them on the shoulder for help, or for an opportunity that's going to be good for their career.

First, here's what you need to know about that person who tapped you on the shoulder for help:

--They're a player and they have power in whatever pond you live in (which is all extremely relative, btw)

--They need help.

--They thought of you, and that can't be a bad thing.

--They don't have a strategic plan behind the request.  They just need help. They don't know where it might lead.

Got it?  Good.  Them tapping you on the shoulder for help is a good thing.  

But that's not enough for you. You have to know what it means. You're like an actor who just got a big break showing up to the set and asking an award-winning director, "What's my motivation?"

Your motivation?

Your motivation should be to engage and make the power broker love the way you ball.  But you've read too many career journals and start to ask momentum-killing questions like:

--Is there a new title with that?  If I do well, would a new position or title come in play down the road?

--Is there more money with that?  What about if I do well - could more money happen then?

It doesn't matter that you didn't ask them directly - it will get back to them. They should call you #selfassassin - the questions you feel compelled to ask are that destructive to your career.

Players perform and pledge not to ask questions when powerful people ask them for help.  I've never seen a situation where a powerful person asked for help and a true player performs - where it wasn't good for their career in a multitude of ways.

Don't ask what the reward is when someone way up the food chain asks you for help.

Just perform in a way that will make them ask again.

Do that and the rest takes care of itself.