Lots of people come over asking for help. Most of them do not know how to, or to be precise – When to. There are guys who ask for the sake of questioning, some who ask without thinking or probably without doing any groundwork. A few who are very harsh, or might be in a hurry.
The way I’ve gained my knowledge in these few years is through getting help from experts & other professionals. People have different characters, different way of response & basically different attitude. But all these people do respond to quite few things.
Here’s those few things I’ve learnt on asking for help. Please feel free to contribute.
Ask for..
Ask for Help! Reckon exactly what you want and simply ask for it. It does not help giving hints, showing postures or playing games. Just ask for what you want.
Keep concrete and to the point requests
General advice are usually disregarded or ignored, and so are generic requests. Do our homework and make to the point requests. It’s much easier for people to respond to concrete requests. May be if they can’t help for the request, the specificity of the request helps them find an alternative way to help.
But yes.. always do KISS 😉 I mean “Keep it Straight & Simple”. Sugar-coating your questions/requests is always welcome, but don’t overdo it.
Don’t use and abuse
Overuse or abuse is one issue most people face with. Once you get free help, people often abuse the privilege. When asking for help, make sure the other person is equipped with the knowledge, or s/he can help get it done. Requests which may not take much time off the person is always welcomed. Like, do not expect the person to train you in some software, instead get them to point you to the right direction in terms of documents or materials.
Pressurizing the person to get the request fulfilled is another grave mistake many do. Once pressurized, they will do it the first time, next time on they are sure to run off seeing you.
Reciprocate the help
Pay it forward, we’re all part of the same innovation community. The whole IT world is hard for everyone, but fortunately, everyone has something to offer. Don’t procrastinate on giving back.
Say thank you
People helping love to know the outcome. For both personal and professional reasons, everybody’s interested in long-term relationships. Do your part by keeping them up to date with your successes. I usually keep posted to the people who helped me for the task or issue. It helps me communicate to them that I appreciate every help they did to be a part of our success.
Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that they say No. And people like to see that you have the passion, and work aggressively towards it.
The point I love is – People take you for granted when they ask for help.