Yesterday, I was stuck!  I couldn’t come up with any ideas for a decent blog post. In my desperate state, I asked the community for help and got some great ideas.

One of them was from Lynn, who asked; “How do you know it’s time to ask for help?”

What a great question!

There are two parts to this question and I’m going to try and answer them both.

The first part of the question focuses on knowing when it’s time to ask for help.  Knowing when to ask for help starts with understanding your personal limits. Asking for help is a must when you’ve tapped out your capabilities. When you’ve come to the end of your capabilities road and you find yourself not knowing what comes next, it’s time to ask for help. If you find yourself not knowing the answer, it’s time to ask for help. If you feel lost, it’s time for help.  It’s an even better time however to ask for help when you sense there is a better way, a more creative approach or a new perspective is required. It’s a good time to ask for help every and anytime the situation could be improved through the support, input and participation of others.

I ask for help all the time. Asking for help should be something  you do more often, not less often and that leads us into the second part of asking for help.

Asking for help also requires a willingness to recognize you need help. It means you are aware of your capability short comings. It means you have a humility that leaves you open to the support and guidance of others. It means you recognize the value others bring. It means you are open to the fact that other people can bring insight, input, participation and knowledge you don’t have. You can’t ask for help until accept that you need it and that is a personal journey.

Asking for help is not a weakness and can’t be seen that way. Asking for help is more about collaboration than it is charity. Accepting the help of others and knowing when to ask for it is leveraging the power of many. It has a multiplier effect. Asking for help is a tool not a weakness.

Not accepting you need help is a hinderance. Not knowing when to ask is limiting. Help in its purest form is another word for collaboration and collaboration is almost always a good thing.

If you find yourself afraid to ask for help because of how it may reflect on you,  you have waited too long. If you are on the brink before you consider asking for help, it’s too late. If you aren’t asking for help almost everyday, you’re leaving money on the table.

When should you ask for help — all the time!

The IRONY in this post: I got it because I was stuck — so I asked for help!

Thanks for the HELP Lynn!