Asking for Help: You Don't Have to Fly Solo
By Craig Price
There is a widely held belief that if you want something done
right, you and you alone must do it. This feeds into the romantic
notion that one person can rise above the noise and build success with
only their two bare hands. The idea is that we are lone travelers,
overcoming obstacles with only our own wits and willpower. And to this
I say...what a waste of effort and time. I don't know about you, but
I'm getting some help!
No one becomes a success without help. No one.
Think about all the successes you know in your life. Then look at
the support system in place that assists in that success. It may not
be obvious for some, but they all get help somewhere, somehow. A great
basketball player like Michael Jordan didn't win championships until
Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant showed up. You should
get help too. Negative thinking says you can't do everything. It
doesn't say you can't do anything; rather it focuses a bit of reality
on every situation. Learning to ask for help is one of the biggest
steps towards success you can take.
But how do you ask for help? It's not something we do readily,
admitting our deficiencies. If you can get past that ego driven
nonsense and look at what your needs really are, asking for help can
be very easy.
Ask others if they need help. You have to give to get. The
old saying "you have to spend money, to make money" works
with help too. You need to be helpful, if you want people to return
the favor. So ask people if you can help them. Be sure that the help
you offer is something you can help with; otherwise you could just
compound the problem. If you can't help that person, refer them to
someone who can. Ironically enough, that alone is very helpful!
Be clear on what you need. This is the tricky part. You need
to explain to the person willing to help exactly what you need. Even
if you don't know what you need, at least tell them the outcome you
want. By clearly defining your outcomes, they can get to the heart of
the matter, saving time and frustration. Sometimes, explaining what
you are doing now will allow your helper to see the problems that are
obstructing your path to success. It's just like the plumber asking
what you put in the disposal that caused the clog. This way he knows
which tools he needs to fix it.
Be grateful. I can't say this enough. If someone goes out of
their way to help, be thankful. Show your gratitude. People are more
apt to help you again if you reward them with sincere "thank
you" or show of appreciation.
Asking for help is not a weakness. It is the sign of a person who
is confident, understands what needs to be done, and yet also
understands their own limitations. It shows you value others opinions
and expertise. It also shows you that you know how to get things
done...even if you're not the one who knows how to get those things
done yourself.
It's a tough and sometimes unforgiving world out there. Trying to
stubbornly plow ahead on your own isn't a sign of strength. It's not a
sign of superior intellect. It's just plain ego. Ego is not a bad
thing, but if you're going to sabotage yourself simply because you are
trying to be the person with "the answer", that tough world
is going to get a lot tougher. However, if you're willing to ask for
and accept help, the world isn't much of a problem at all.
©Craig Price 2009
For more information on professional speaker Craig
Price's negativity based keynotes
and training call
877-572-7890 today or email craig@speakercraigprice.com
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