Asking for Help
Posted December 22nd, 2014
There is a basic disconnect in business today between the leadership and workers. Company executives extol the value of working together, collaboration, and teamwork. But it is difficult to establish such a culture of cooperation.
The reason for this lies in our human nature – working together involves helping others, but we are often reluctant to ask for help because we feel it makes us look less than competent, that we cannot do things on our own.
To overcome such obstacles, the company needs to establish a culture where asking for help is expected, and this attitude needs to begin at the top. There are things that you can do also to make it less painful to ask for help.
1. To get help, give help.
The more you help others, the more they will be willing to help you in return. But you need to maintain this attitude. People generally have short memories, so if you have been helpful in the past, but less so recently, people will likely forget your efforts. You need to continually renew your efforts.
2. Be clear about what you want.
This may sound like a no-brainer, but often people are not exactly sure what kind of help they need, or exactly what information they need. One way to deal with this is to do a little planning. You can start with a project you are currently working on. List the goals you have for this work, and then what you need to get done to achieve those goals, as far as information or other materials. This will help you think about what you need answers to.
3. Be specific.
Many times, requests for help are vague, or too broad or general. To be effective requests should be as specific as possible, There should be a clear reason why you need the information, and a clear indication of what the person needs to do, as well as a time frame for when you need the information.
4. Don’t prejudge.
In other words, don’t make assumptions about what people know, or who they know. The thing is, you don’t really know what information another person has, or who the person may be acquainted with, until you actually ask them. Many times, you will be surprised at their knowledge and connections. Don’t limit yourself before you ask by assuming things.
5. Company leadership needs to create an atmosphere where asking for help is encouraged.
If employees see company leaders doing it, that is the most powerful encouragement they could receive for doing it themselves.
If you’re a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area and are looking for work in the IT sector, send your resume to Bayside Solutions, one of the premier staffing agencies in the Bay area. We look forward to hearing from you.
