It's Okay To Ask For Help At Work

If you’re at all like me, there have been plenty of 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.

So what does not asking for help have to do with communication?  Well, not asking for assistance or further explanation is not communicating at a time when it’s critical...and more importantly, not communicating proactively.

There’s a stigma when it comes to asking for help within the context of the work place because people are afraid of being looked down upon by their bosses or co-workers, or would rather save face than admit they don’t understand something, or are afraid of losing credibility, or are afraid of losing their sense of autonomy.  Some worry that asking their managers for further explanation or help will somehow negatively impact the perception their manager has of them, simply because they’re asking for a few extra minutes of their time.

Well...if you’re worried about annoying your boss or negatively impacting the perception he or she has of you, think of this!  Sitting at your desk and looking at your computer screen with a blank stare because you’re unsure of how to perform a task you’ve been assigned, means a loss of productivity; a loss of productivity that a company is trusting and paying to do.

I happen to believe that proactive communication can only result in a positive outcome.  Being proactive and communicating that you need help or further explanation on something at work doesn’t make you incompetent, unqualified, or any of the other ridiculous negative connotations that we tend to attach to the idea.  All it reflects on your part, is that you care about getting the job done.