“Can I pick your brain over coffee?” “Can I call you and pick your brain?” “Can I pick your brain?” Ew. Are you tired of hearing this phrase used in every way imaginable? For those who use this phrase on others, let’s count the ways in which it is received. Then we’ll look at ways to avoid getting your brain picked over until there’s nothing left. You’re just sitting around waiting to help me. You don’t know how to do something, yet you know you’d like to learn. So you see an expert who appears successful at that thing. If your solution is to ask to “pick their brain,” you send them your assumption that they’re not working hard at their craft and just waiting for the next opportunity to be graced with this question. Wrong. If you can externally see someone’s success, you’re seeing the tip of the iceberg […]