Asking for help, even when you don't really need it

Over my worklife, I find that increasingly I am willing to ask for help on thinking through a difficult problem or dividing up a task.  When I first entered the work world, I thought I had to "prove" myself by doing everything by myself, so I rarely asked for help.  I would never ask for help if I thought I knew how to attack the problem or knew the result just required some hard work.

What I've learned is that few people are able to sustain this working alone concept.  Asking for help and incorporating what other can do for you will make you more productive, but will also open up perspectives and points of view that you might not have possessed previously.  Asking for help also creates an obligation for you to return the favor or at least be available to help others.  This creates a sense of shared work and shared effort, and builds a stronger team.  When individuals don't seek each other's advice, team building and collaboration are much harder to achieve.  While it may seem like a weakness to ask for help, there are at least three good reasons to do so:

1. When you really don't know the answer and need help
2. When you think you know the answer and want to confirm
3. When you know the answer, but want to include others in the work or in the decision

It was the last reason that I struggled with the most early in my career.  I often thought I knew the answer and would press ahead, and sometimes people who felt they could have influenced the action were left out, or people who thought the decision reflected on their work or responsibilities were not happy.

What I try to counsel people who work for me to do is to involve people in a decision or discussion even if they think they know the answer.  By asking for help, you may alleviate "ownership" issues down the road and demonstrate that you believe another person's insights are valuable. 

Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength.