How to Ask for Help at Work
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Are you sitting at your desk wondering how to go about a task? Is there maybe something you’re stuck on and you just don’t know how to move forward? That’s okay, we all struggle with work sometimes. Whether it’s a process in your organization that you’re unsure about or maybe you’re just a bit new to the job and you don’t know how to do something: it's good to know when you should be reaching out to somebody to help you with whatever you’re struggling with. If that is something that you find difficult whether it’s because you want to be able to do everything by yourself or maybe you don’t want to have to disturb anybody else, we’re here to help you do that.
If you’re having a hard time convincing yourself to ask somebody for help at work then maybe you should consider the benefits of asking for help. Below are just a few of the biggest benefits of asking your co-worker, manager, or even work friends for help at work.
6 benefits of asking for help at work:
You might find a better way to do something
It makes room for collaboration
You get a second opinion on any ideas you have
It might be quicker than sitting and struggling by yourself
They could ask you for help later on, which could lead to an opportunity
So now that you’re hopefully sold on the benefits you can get by asking for help, we have some tips and tricks on how to do it. Asking for help at work starts with trying your best to troubleshoot whatever it is you’re struggling with by yourself. Once you’ve done that to the best of your ability, then you can ask for help knowing that you’ve done everything you can to finish the task. Here are 6 things you can do that will ensure that your co-workers are not only willing to help you, but will be more than happy to.
How to ask for help at work:
List all the possible solutions you’ve already tried - This shows persistence, and competence and prevents the other person from repeating things you've already tried.
How much time do you need? - Is it a huge problem or a 5-minute discussion? Make enough time for it so you can problem-solve and discuss thoroughly.
Consider who you should ask - who will know the most about this? Who is friendly and willing to help? Perhaps your manager would know the most, but they’re not the friendliest - in which case your co-worker with 2 years of experience may be your best option and that’s okay.
Be willing to help others - any collaborative environment should be give and take. If you want people to jump up with a smile and a cheerful tone when you request help, you need to do the same for them. Be happy and willing to help someone else whenever they need it.
Be specific - especially in big projects, narrow down what it is exactly that is giving you an issue and how they could help to resolve it. Do you need a resource? A second pair of eyes? Idea generation? Help using a program? Explanation of a process? Be specific and let them know when you need answers.
Express appreciation - after sitting down with them, follow up with them in the next few days with a small token of appreciation. This can be with words or something small like coffee or lunch. This shows that you value their time and input and will make them more than likely happy to help in the future.
We've told you our best practices when asking for help at work. After all the effort you've put into trying to solve the problem by yourself, we think this blog counts towards some of that effort. So yeah, maybe when you're detailing to the other person how you tried to solve it yourself, you can show them this blog while you're at it. Or not… Your choice. It sure would help us out though.
