How to Ask Someone for Help Like a Pro!
Mastering the art of seeking help from someone at work: Tips for Success!
Seeking help from anyone can be intimidating, especially when it comes to asking for help from seniors who might be well-experienced. However, it is important to remember that everybody needs help at some point, so you should never hesitate to ask for help. Additionally, you should also make sure that you are not asking questions that do not provide any information/context to the reader.
After reading this post, you will have a fair idea of how to ask for help in a way that can lead to fast resolutions.
#1 : Be clear about the problem
Many times, we want our issues to be resolved quickly, and as a result, we fail to provide enough context about the problem when asking for help.
For example, consider this message:
Hey, I’m facing a problem. Can you please help here?
This is not the correct way of seeking help because the reader does not know what the actual issue is, what you have tried, or what did not work out for you.
From the reader’s perspective, they may not know what to do and may feel clueless about how or where they can assist you.
Therefore, before seeking help, make sure that you clearly understand the issue you are facing. Take the time to gather all the necessary information and organize it logically. This will help you communicate the issue to the senior professional in a concise and clear way. By providing sufficient context, you can increase the likelihood of getting a prompt and effective solution.
#2 : Show your effort
It is important to demonstrate the amount of effort you have put into solving a problem before seeking help. Explain the steps or approaches you have tried that did not work out. This will show others that you have tried on your own instead of just looking for an easy way out.
Another advantage of doing this is that people will be more willing to help you voluntarily and will tend to solve your query faster.
By showing what you have tried, you are helping others to help you better
You set them up to succeed in their quest to solve your problem, and although you have to take some effort, the reward is more than worth it.
#3 : Respect their time and expertise
When seeking help from a senior, it is essential to be respectful of their time and expertise. Acknowledge that they are taking time out of their busy schedule to assist you, and express your gratitude for their help.
It is crucial to understand the criticality of the issue when approaching them. Determine whether it is urgent, not urgent, slightly important, critical, or a blocker. This will give them an idea of how critical the issue is, allowing them to assist you accordingly.
Keep this in mind : Not every problem is important and urgent
Make sure you understand the severity of the problem before seeking help.
#4: Follow up
Once you have received help from a senior, it is critical to follow up and let them know how their assistance has helped you. This will demonstrate that you value their help and are committed to strengthening your skills. And, of course, don’t forget to express your gratitude and say thank you for your time and assistance!
This is a good template that you can refer to when reaching out for help
Context
[mandatory]
Tag relevant people and mention how critical this issue is. Everything is not always urgent. Figuring out the priority and setting it correctly is crucial. For example, you can start with:
[important] @ john_doe @ jane_doe
Examples of other importance levels:
- Not urgent
- Urgent
- Important
- Slightly important
- Critical
- Blocker
Current problem
[mandatory]
Write down a clear description of the issue you are currently facing. Break it down into sub-problems if required. For example:
I am unable to receive any emails on my work email address. This appears to be true for all emails (including promotions and updates). However, I am able to send emails to others.
Steps to reproduce
[optional, but recommended]
Are there steps that can help other people reproduce this issue? This is critical for complex technical issues, since this can reduce the time it takes to resolve your problem drastically. Write these down as a numbered list. While writing these steps, you will oftentimes stumble upon a solution.
An example of steps to reproduce:
- Sign in to your work email on your laptop
- From your phone, send yourself an email on your work address
- Refresh your work inbox to check if you received it (I am unable to)
Things I have tried so far
[mandatory]
Mention everything you have tried to get this resolved. For example:
- I tried restarting the Wi-Fi
- I tried sending an email to myself
- I checked if I was receiving emails on my other email address (I was able to)
- I checked if I was receiving the emails on my phone (I wasn’t)
Other details
[optional]
You can specify any other relevant details. For example, which laptop you are using, or which Wi-Fi you are on.
What I think is wrong
[optional, but recommended]
Mention your hypothesis about what could be wrong. It can help others help you faster.
For example:
- I think this may be an issue with our incoming mail server, but I am not certain how our mail servers are configured.
Help needed
[mandatory]
Ask people to help you out. For example:
Please help me resolve this because I need to…
I would like to thank Saunved for curating this wonderful template. I highly recommend that you give this post a read:
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