SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 200,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.
How willing are you to ask for help when you need it?
- Extremely: I ask for help all the time without hesitation: 15.21%
- Very: I’ll ask for help when the need gets pressing: 35.71%
- Somewhat: I have a hard time with it unless the situation is extreme: 35.87%
- Not very: It’s pretty rare that I ask no matter how much I need it: 10.74%
- Not at all: I always go it alone even though I know I should ask: 2.47%
Ask for help when needed. You’re not alone. While 50% of you seem to freely ask for help as needed, the other half of you struggle with doing so. Ask yourself why. Is it a pride thing? Or is it that you don’t want to inconvenience others? Maybe you believe it’s a display of weakness? Whatever the reason, get to the root of it and ask if that perception is true as well as if it’s outweighed by the benefits of asking for help. If you’re overwhelmed, stressed out, and not getting your work done or delivering on commitments, perhaps it’s time to swallow your pride or get over your hang-ups. You’d be surprised by how many people are more than willing to help a friend or colleague. Think about how you handle such requests. Give people the benefit of the doubt and create the opportunity for them to be helpful. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised with the result.
Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN — the firm’s e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: “One Piece of Paper,” “Lead Inside the Box” and “The Elegant Pitch.”