It isn’t how but who

 "Whos" broaden your vision and expand your efficacy.

When author and entrepreneur Richie Norton was 16 years old, all he wanted to do was get a job and make some money of his own.

Since typical summer jobs at grocery stores and gas stations involved a lot of work for low pay, Richie’s father suggested taking a different route. He told him to call all the watermelon farms in the area and ask if he could buy any misshapen or oddly sized watermelons at a discount, then sell them on to people who didn’t require flawless watermelons.

Once Richie had around a hundred watermelons, he started calling people he thought might want to buy one ahead of celebrations for the Fourth of July . They sold out in a matter of hours. And thanks to his Who – his dad – Richie had the rest of the summer to do whatever he wanted.

The key message here is: Whos broaden your vision and expand your efficacy.

It’s safe to say that 16-year-old Richie Norton would never have thought of the watermelon idea on his own. When someone provides you with the right kind of support, it can expand your perception of what’s possible, and even boost your potential.

That’s the idea behind the Self-Expansion Model developed by psychologists Dr. Elaine Aron and Dr. Arthur Aron. According to this model, your efficacy – that is, how effective you are at producing results – is based on context, not absolute ability. In other words, your potential isn’t fixed; it changes according to who is around you. In Richie’s case, his context – having a supportive parent who was willing to share ideas – was far more important than any innate sales ability he might have. Despite what many people believe, whether or not you do everything yourself isn’t relevant. In the end, it’s results that matter.

So if your efficacy can change for better or worse, what’s the best way to expand it? Through close relationships, which can help you obtain resources that make achieving your goals possible. These resources can be material, like money or possessions. But they can also take the form of someone’s time, help, or perspective.

To find Whos to check these boxes, think about your life today and ask a few questions. For example, what goal, business or personal, are you working toward alone? If nobody else is involved, perhaps your vision could benefit from a Who and the added perspective that brings.

Involving others to work toward a common goal often takes an investment of time or money. But as an added bonus, including other people – especially Whos – also strengthens your own commitment.