Art of Asking for Help
How comfortable are you at asking for help? How clear are your requests for help?
Have you ever thought that we can improve our asking for help skills and even approach asking for help as a practice? Our awareness of the specific type of help we are asking for and the words we use to ask for help can be fine-tuned. Indeed, the more our request for help is precise the higher our chances of obtaining the help we actually want and avoid frustrations on both sides (feelings of not being heard or not being appreciated).
At percolab we have developed a simple tool to support the development of our asking for help culture. We have seen how it can open up space and deconstruct preset minds. We have noticed that it can work with everyone.
Before you dive into the typology, think of a moment when you offered help recently and think of a moment when you asked for help recently.
Jot down your examples and then read through the typology and see where they fit. If your examples are not in the typology, let me know so the typology can evolve and strengthen with our collective intelligence.
1. Ask me questions (coaching)
2. Show me how to . . . (demonstrate)
3. Tell me information or perspective (local knowledge/experience based)
4. Give me expert advice (expertise based)
5. Think creatively with me (idea generation)
6. Give me feedback on my idea, model etc. (enriching)
7. Be my audience/participant (practice)
8. Provide me moral support (emotion)
9. Give me a hand… (physical, action help)
10. Loan/give me something (material support)
11. Protect and care for me (abuse support)
12. Make sense with me (intellectual/intuitive)
13. Motivate me (kick in the butt)
14. Step in with/for me (solidarity)
15. Can you listen to me (attention)
Now, write down two requests for help using the typology. Go and ask someone for help. If the person can’t answer the first request, try the second one. How was that? Did you notice a difference?
As collaboration and participatory leadership are on the rise, our capacity to excel at asking for help is becoming all the more important. The time of the hero leader who could figure everything out on his or her own is over.
“It is kind to ask for help. Do not trust someone who cannot ask for help”.
Note: Feel free to adapt and adjust this typology. Think of it as a commons. I invite you share how you are using it and how it is evolving with your usage. here or email sam@percolab.com
