Some Four Letter Words Belong At Work

If you’re at all like me, there have been times when you’ve been at work...sitting at your desk...staring at your computer screen...and wondering what exactly it was that you were supposed to be doing.  What’s even better is the fact that just minutes before, you were sitting in an hour-long meeting that was scheduled specifically to outline how to do exactly what it is that you still don’t know how to do.

It’s perfectly okay not to understand something after it was initially explained to you.  It doesn’t make you less capable, promotable, or competent than your peers and co-workers.  It makes you human. There’s no error in that.  I do think however, that we error when we don’t ask for HELP.  As unoriginal and intuitive as the idea seems, many of us are terrified at the very thought.  Some of us would probably choose public speaking over telling our peers or manager that we don't know what we're doing.

Not asking for help or further explanation is not communicating at a time when it’s critical to do so...and more importantly, not communicating proactively.

There’s a stigma when it comes to asking for help within the context of the work place.  We're afraid of being looked down upon by our boss or co-workers, and would rather save face than admit that we don’t understand something.  Why?  We're afraid of losing credibility.  We're afraid of losing our sense of autonomy.  Some of us worry that asking for help will negatively impact the perception our managers and peers have of us, simply because we may need a few extra minutes of their time.