Why it's important to ask for help
Why it’s important to ask for help
“Asking for other’s guidance helps you to see what you may not be able to see. It’s always important to check your ego and ask for help.” Kenneth H. Blanchard
Even the most confident people may need help at times. But it can be difficult to know how, or who, to ask.
Overwhelmed or overloaded?
Sometimes if you are overloaded with work or overwhelmed by your new role, you may be reluctant to ask for help, seeing it perhaps as a weakness, or a sign that you are passing the buck, or admitting defeat. Instead you might prefer to struggle on alone, dealing with more and more complexity and anxiety until it starts to affect you, your team or the business negatively.
It’s important to understand at this point that whilst we may dread asking for help, we cannot achieve success alone. We also need to recognise the fact that people like to help, and asking for assistance, rather than being a sign of weakness can be a sign of great strength. It means you are self-aware and self-assured enough to know when it’s time to call in some reinforcements. And when you collaborate with others, it can increase the chances of success and take things to the next level.
So next time you have:
No idea what you’re doing
Too much on your plate
A lack of expertise or insight
Then ask for help. Whether it’s from your boss, your colleagues or an outside organisation whose skills you need, requesting assistance will put you back in control. But remember, the longer you delay asking for help, the worse the issue can become and the fewer options there may be to resolve everything.
Speed is of the essence
There are some simple ways to do this and here are some ideas:
Use the most appropriate and comfortable communication channel for you. Choose from face-to-face, telephone, email, instant messaging, Zoom or other online channels.
Be specific about what support you need, from whom and for how long. Demonstrate that you've thought about why the situation has arisen and set some targets.
Think carefully about how you phrase and structure your request and don’t forget to remove too much emotion. Rather than saying: "I can't cope with my workload anymore," try something like, "The current influx of work is making it difficult for me to plan my time."
Consider any questions or feedback that you're likely to receive or how you'll respond. Remember your body language can often say far more than your words!
Show your appreciation. When someone agrees to help you, always say thank you. And if it's appropriate, consider ways you can either reciprocate or reward their help.
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