Dependent Mindset- Seeking for Help in Each Step at Work

We often asked for help to overcome problems in our work. Asking for help is not a bad idea in itself. But the frequent asking for help is not always good. Some of us have a kind of habit not to take risks in any work or getting over conscious on each step of work. So, seeking suggestions, feedbacks and help are demanded by your mind in every step to confirm and complete the work. Unless verified by someone each piece of your work you would not confident in yourself.

Asking for help would help you to get support from others to advance in your career. But, frequent asking in each step of work develops the habit of a dependent mindset. It makes you doubt to proceed a step without any kind of support from others. Some of us have the skill to ask for help and enjoy asking for help to step ahead while some of us neither have the skill to ask for help frequently nor have more people in the circle to whom we can ask for.  This has occurred when we overthink the consequences like the potential rejection of the request for help, ignoring the request, diminishing the status, disrespecting behavior over us, etc. 

Seeking for Help gesture
Seeking help gesture


If so, you need to do each work by yourself without others' support which is almost impossible for advancement in your career. Thus, you need to seek help politely. Here, I am describing what you have to consider before asking for help.

7 Things to consider before seeking help from others

Before you try to seek help you have to make sure whether you really need it, are you specific on which matter you need help on, is the help you seeking already available somewhere online?

1. Be clear about what you are doing: 

Unless you are clear around which you like to get advice on others could help you out. This means it would better clear the person about your planning. What are you trying to achieve, the procedure you want to follow in general ways. When you are with your possible steps, planning for the work, it would be easier for someone to give support with advice, suggestion, or any kind of support.

2. Study about the topic (you about to get help); try finding out yourself:

The topic on which you are about to get help may be already asked by so many people online. You may also find support online or any other sources around you. Try to search about around you. You may not need to ask others for help. You can ask about other meaningful topics instead of on the topic which can easily found on different sources around.

3. Point out where you want help on (Be more specific):

Most people have a habit of asking for general help on some topic in general. It makes it difficult for those who try to help you as it would help on which specific things you want support on. What particular things prevent you to move ahead should be noted. Asking for help on something as a whole gives more questions and takes lots of time to understand the actual problem. So, you need to be more specific about where you want advice or help.

4. Note down your query in short:

The query you like to make someone should be brief and understandable. When you ask for help either in text or in your direct voice be precise, clear, and brief so that people you trying to get help understand and give you the support you want. Otherwise, the unspecific, long, unclear query makes people demotivate to support it's not because it not willing but because s/he may trouble to understand you clearly.

5. Don't seek a direct contribution to your work:

Some people try to make others do their work instead in the name of help. This is not a good idea. It makes people trying to help annoying. Next time when you have a real issue you need to deal with then the nearest and supportive people nearby you already have lost the trust in you. They may think that you would provide difficulty instead of making a favorable environment to share and to provide their knowledge and support.

6. Don't try to seek help unless you really need to:

The person who is seeking help even doesn't know what's going on in their work. Incorporating the support and advice from the people in contact makes the work you doing mesh up. So, don't be overloaded by help and advice from others unless you really need it. You should be able to track what's going on in your work. What are the changes you make with others' support and why should be clear. Seeking help in every point makes you more dependent and the work you are doing becomes a collection of supports from different people not reflecting your views, opinion, and skills on it.  

7. Don't ask for help in the same step you are left with useful help:

The habit of completing of task from the support in every step may annoy the person helping you out. When you ask for help in each step means you are compiling someone's task in your name. That is not good practice. Help should be like a guide for the coming works and suggestions for the improvement in the previous works you did. Waiting for help in every step you are left with useful support may decline your capacity to think yourself and developed as a dependent mindset. Which you need to avoid for rational thinking. You can have helped before and after your meaningful work. 


People feel thankful to support and help based on their knowledge and skill. But the help should be more meaningful. The help should be asked in the right way. The good quality of questions gets quality of answers.

0 Comments