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Your Guide to Winning @ Work: The Art of Asking for Help

Success means different things to different people and the journey is different for each and every one of us, but one thing we can agree on is this: no one goes it alone. In fact, 70% of professionals say their support system is one of the top factors contributing to success at work.

While we know help is crucial, new LinkedIn research reveals that most of us are experiencing a help gap -- 84% of professionals admit that they’ve needed help at some point in their career, yet more than 1 in 3 (35%) say they’re often afraid to ask for help at work. Here are the top 5 situations where professionals want help:

ask for help

30% of professionals admit they’d rather work an extra 6 hours a week than seek help in the workplace, but you are really making it much harder for yourself if you don’t lean in to your community. Here are some tricks for getting the help you need:

  • Accept that you don’t have all the answers: The world of work is constantly changing so it’s helpful to be constantly learning. It’s normal to not always know how to handle a difficult situation with a coworker or even a new project. In fact, over 80% of professionals shared that asking for help led them to solve a problem. If you find yourself in a jam, instead of trying to handle it by yourself, be comfortable knowing that it is an opportunity for you to get help and learn.

  • Pinpoint the problem: It is common to feel overwhelmed if you are constantly missing deadlines with your team. One way to work through this is to take a few minutes to think through why your workload is not manageable right now and brainstorm possible solutions. That way, you know what to ask for. Talk to your manager and present the concrete issue with possible paths forward so you can work together to reach a solution.

  • Tap your professional community: Not sure who can help you at work? There’s a community of professionals on LinkedIn who can offer ideas and advice to help you achieve your definition of success. Write a post and don’t be afraid to be clear about the help you’re looking for. Find a group on LinkedIn that matches your interests or use LinkedIn Career Advice to get matched to a professional who can help based on what type of advice you need.

Success doesn’t have to be a lonely road. You can ask for help. And remember, no matter what you may need, there’s a community on LinkedIn who can help. Whatever you’re in it for, we’re #inittogether.

Methodology

The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of LinkedIn between August 8 and 22, 2018 among 1,017 adults 18+ across the U.S. who are employed full-time, part-time, or self-employed.