How to ask for a raise

Most people ask for a raise by saying to their boss some variation of: “I’ve done my research and the average salary on my job is %X. I want an X% raise.”

The problem with this approach is that you’re positioning the question as a binary. Your boss is boxed into a yes or no.

Simon Sinek tells us to stop seeing your employment as an event, and rather think of it as an ongoing process, a continuum.

Instead, go to your boss in the middle of this career continuum with something like, “I’ve been here for X years, through high and low times. You know I’m loyal/team player/producer/etc. My aspiration is to stay with the company. Can you help me figure out a path that gets me to this salary?”

Now it’s a conversation rather than a yes or no. You’re helping your boss help you, rather than meeting a demand.