Boost Your Chances Of Getting Help At Work!
Picture this: You're working on an important project but due to the sheer amount of effort needed, you realised it may be impossible for you to meet the deadline. Even if you put in extra hours and burn your weekends. Help is definitely needed, but how can you go about asking your colleagues for it, without seeming like you're incapable or trying to unload your work on them?
In Asian work cultures such as Singapore, many of us tend to keep our heads down and power through deadlines, thinking that requesting for help is seen as being weak, lazy, or points to one's inefficiency. Truth is, everyone needs a bit of help every now and then, and it shouldn't be that hard to approach your colleagues for it. For starters, learn how to ask for help in the right ways.
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1. A good deed begets another
Lending a hand now and then to your co-workers does wonder for establishing goodwill and relationship building. If you frequently volunteer to help others, your occasional request for help won't undermine their confidence in you. Additionally, this is a great way to maintain your reputation for being a kind and competent colleague so when you really need the help, people are more likely to come forward.
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2. Stay engaged
A request for a colleague's assistance isn't like getting your orders placed at a restaurant - you can't just dump your request on them and expect it to be done like how you want it to. It's essential to stay engaged throughout, as you work together to solve the issue. Observe what they are doing, ask questions and take notes. This way, you will be able to tackle similar issues in the future.
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3. Make help a breeze
Make it clear to your co-worker what exactly you need him or her to help you with. Otherwise, you run the risk of making it a hassle to help, which will turn the helper away. Be specific, action-oriented, and provide a timeline in which you require the assistance to be complete. By breaking down your complex request, the helper sees them as simpler, bite-sized tasks which he or she can easily deal with.
4. Asking for help, not a handout
When you know you require assistance, don't go knocking blindly on people's doors. Go prepared with potential solutions or suggestions. This proves that you have already thought through the problem on your own, and clearly shows you are just asking for help, and not a handout.
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5. Ask quietly, praise loudly
It is not recommended to publicise to all co-workers on your need for help, as you can easily be seen as a whiner. Pick one or two co-workers who you think are most likely or suited to help and go to them directly instead. Once you receive the aid you need, share praise for your co-workers with your boss. Your colleagues will get credit for their work and you'll look confident in your abilities to acknowledge others for helping you.
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