Feeling helpless isn’t fun. But let’s face it–sometimes you need help! And if you don’t ask for help, things could get even worse. More stress, more confusion, and not to mention the fact that you might be digging yourself into a deeper hole. It’s always better to fess up as soon as possible. Also, don’t apologize! There’s nothing to be sorry about. Your coworkers and your bosses are a resource for you, and you should all want to support each other on the path to success.
When you don’t understand something…
- “I need a little more clarity. Can you repeat that one more time with a little more detail?”
- “Would you be willing to meet with me one-on-one? I didn’t fully grasp all of the project’s details during the meeting.”
- “Can you walk me through this one more time from start to finish?”
When you know you’re going to miss an impossible deadline…
- “This is a big ask and unfortunately we’ll need more time or more resources.”
- “Realistically, I won’t be able to meet this deadline unless I have some assistance.”
- “At this point, I can’t deliver those results to you at that time, but I can deliver X at Y.”
When you are stumped and don’t know what to do next…
- “I’d really appreciate your help on prescribing the best way to move forward on this.”
- “I’ve got a bit of a conundrum and was hoping you could help me decide if I should veer left or veer right. Here are my options…”
- “Would you be willing to give me some guidance on this challenging situation I found myself in?”
Image via ohad gilor/Flickr.
Spectrum Brands Careers Blog 
October 17, 2017
Career Advice