Are you asking for help and working as a team?
Two Heads are Better than One
Asking for help is a sign of weakness. What?!? People who truly believe that are not necessarily successful.
The most successful people in history have looked to a team of people in order achieve their goals. Do you think Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb all by himself? No way! The greatest achievers of our day have relied on a team to achieve their huge aspirations (i.e. Steve Jobs of Apple and LeBron James and the Cavaliers). In fact, it shows strength to acknowledge that you do not have all the answers.
I have found that my best ideas have come through collaborative efforts with team members to solve a difficult problem.
Best Ways to Ask for Help
It takes a strong person to admit they do not have all the answers. The way to go about asking for help when you need it does not have to be announced to the whole room, though.
Confide in a Mentor
Mentors are a tried and true sources of help. A mentor’s role is to guide and assist you and can be great sounding boards. By sharing something out loud to someone opens up a whole new viewpoint. Through this new angle your mentor can share their own experiences and can help you learn from their experiences and often their mistakes.
For example, when I was thinking of going into business with a family member, my mentor shared what happened when they went into business with their sibling. In their case, their sibling wasn’t very fiscally responsible and it put a wedge in their relationship that is still there today. Their insight made me stop and really think about the the person who was going to be my business partner. It made me realize that our viewpoints were very different and those differences would jeopardize our relationship. In the long run I decided against going into business with a family member and I know it saved me save a lot of heartache and headache. I only came to that realization because I asked for advice (help) and my mentor shared their story.
Share the Load
A true team is a group of people sharing the load in order to help one another. Asking for help is is actually smart. Do you know everything there is to know? Is it possible for one individual to know everything there is to know?
Have you ever watched geese fly south for the winter? They make it to warmer climates because during their evolution, they looked to one another for help, that’s why. When the lead goose gets tired, they fly to the end of the “V” formation and streamline off their fellow geese. Each goose down the line continues to take their turn. When the original goose is at the pinnacle of the “V”, they take the lead again. Geese “share the load”.
Like geese, human beings are not solitary creatures, so asking for help should be the rule not the exception. Stepping up when it it’s your turn and relying on others when it’s “not your turn” and you need help.
I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things – Mother Teresa
These are words to live by, so go ask for help already!
Does Your Team Need to Ask for Help?
Fun Team Building, an Atlanta team building company, can help your organization work together as a real team and ask for help when needed! He has worked with teams for over 20 years and can teach your organization how to learn from one another and “share the load” through group activities. To learn more or schedule an event, call Larry at 770-333-3303 or fill out our contact form today!