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It’s
OK to Ask for Help
One
of the biggest mistakes people make when they are trying to grow
their business or their career, is to avoid at all costs asking
for help.
So
if asking for help is the most obvious way to solve a problem,
why do many people resist to the point of failing themselves,
rather than take that perceived gigantic step?
Would
fear possibly contribute to their dilemma? Fear of being indebted
to
someone, fear of looking or sounding stupid by not knowing how
to do something in the first place. And even frustration that
although they consider themselves to be a smart, intelligent person
– how come they can’t do something that people say
is “easy”.
Asking
for help is the answer to most questions.
As Harvey Mackey says, “it’s not what you know, but
who knows what you know.” Master networkers spend a lifetime
gathering useless pieces of trivia and information. They store
it away, often in a variety of easily assessed formats. More often
than not, it is in their head. Their mastery comes in being able
to connect two or three seemingly obscure pieces of information
and making them relevant. We are in a knowledge economy –
information is the new currency.
Let’s
look at some of the asking for help options available to savvy
networkers:
Fee for service:
This is by far the most popular – engage a tradesperson,
service provider or professional who will normally quote for the
job or service to be provided and charge accordingly. Yes, we
will pay more for this service, but the job will be done exactly
as we want it to be done. This is more often than not the most
time efficient and, in the long run, economical way to ask for
help.
Undertaking
training:
Most skills can be learned and there are hundreds of courses available
at TAFEs, evening colleges, BECs, universities, schools etc. The
choice is really – what value do we place on our time spent
in mastering the skill versus the cost of paying someone to do
the job for us?
A
friend recently bemoaned the fact that she was having terrible
trouble mastering web site building. I asked, “Why wouldn’t
you go to a recommended web master and get the job done in a quarter
of the time?” Her response was that she wanted to learn
how it was done – even though she knew it would be a one
off and she had no intention of embarking on a web site building
career. Each to his or her own – my thought was her time
could have been spent better elsewhere, rather than mastering
a one off skill.
Barter
services:
What skills in your area of expertise, do you have to trade with
another service provider, who has the skills that you want? One
hour of your time giving some marketing advice, may be considered
a fair swap for someone who can give you a lesson in mastering
technology.
Bartering
always works when it is win/win – that means when both parties
gain from the experience. This gain may not necessarily be financial,
but the experience of learning and mastering another skill and
the opportunity to extend your network.
Volunteer:
With the global trend towards people wanting to give back to the
community, there is no shortage of people looking for groups that
they can become involved with. Maybe gardening or renovating houses
is something you are keen to learn about. Seek out those charities
which provide working bees at restoring homes or looking after
pensioners’ premises. This is definitely a win/win for you,
as you are doing something good for the community and learning
at the same time.
Find
a mentor:
Sometimes we are so busy working in our business and career, that
we lose sight of the bigger picture. Finding a mentor for a short
or long term role, can give you a very fresh perspective on your
situation.
Over
seventeen years ago when I started my own business, I re-invented
the wheel month after month, rather than ask people to show me
a better way to do things. Not only did I waste time, money and
energy, my business was stifled because of my fear of looking
stupid by admitting I didn’t know something that I thought
everyone knew – except me. It was only when I developed
enough courage to mention some of the things I needed help with,
that I found there were dozens of people in similar situations.
We all needed help and we could help each other or invite an expert
in and share the costs.
So
the next time you feel stuck, not skilled enough to complete a
task, and frustrated at your perceived incompetence – be
courageous. Speak up, ask for help and become a role model for
so many people, too afraid to ask for what they want.
Always
remember it’s okay to ask for help.
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