Comfortably and confidently asking for help requires refuting misperceptions that have been uncovered in research. These are myths likely to have been heightened as a result of the ongoing pandemic adjustments.
- Asking for help makes you look bad
- If I do ask for help, I’ll be rejected
- Even if someone agrees to help, they won’t enjoy doing so
Source: Harvard Business Review, June 8, 2020. Link. This is a time when we should feel more, not less, comfortable asking for and accepting help. There’s plenty of evidence that others are less likely to judge us and more likely to help us (and enjoy doing so) than we think.
INSIGHTS: This article reminded me of a LinkedIn post about arguing with yourself.
The benefits of arguing with yourself
The more time we spend on a subject, the more susceptible we become to close-mindedness, blinding us to new ideas and opportunities. Even the perception that we’re experts can narrow our views. But not all is lost: It comes down to embracing a “beginner’s mind,” writes Psyche’s Christian Jarrett < link > This kind of intellectual humility requires us to acknowledge the limits of our understanding and that there’s always something new to learn. And you can begin by simply arguing with yourself and seeking out ideas that run counter to yours.