The Right Way to Ask, ‘Can I Pick Your Brain?’

It’s a request that experienced people of any industry have gotten at some point: “Can I buy you coffee and pick your brain?” While well-intentioned, execution is everything, and sometimes these unsolicited requests for a casual, informational interviews can come off as entitled and presumptuous. And for the receiver, it can be difficult or even unrealistic for a busy professional to coordinate bespoke consultation appointments for everyone who asks.

“Any request that requires someone to block off time on their calendar — for a call, for a coffee, to stop to chat with your team — can be, for someone who is running a packed professional schedule, a massive ask,” said Cal Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University and author of “Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World.”

If you’re thinking of asking a superstar in your field out for coffee so you can learn what makes them tick — and how you can apply that knowledge to your own career path — here’s how to do it right.

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): The New York Times