Perception - "When to ask for help?"

Betaal sees many cases around him, people asking how do they influence the perception that gets created about them.

So, few entries in the blog are going to focus on this. How negative perceptions get created and how we can prevent them from getting created.

First in point - "When to ask for help ?"

This is for the bucket of earthlings who have a perception of a punter. Someone who transfers his . her problems to others, higher ups in the organizations, and reaches out extensively for help even on issues, which he/she is being paid to resolve.

Most of these people, justify their behavior in following terms.

- Giving a heads up to rest of the ecosystem on a brewing issue is a good thing afterall
- Collaboration, spreading the scale of the issues thin and tackling them
- Transparency and proactive communication
- Avoid 11th hour fire-fighting

All valid points !!! Now, whats most critical here is what kind of issues given this treatment.

If it is something within the persons scope or lil beyond it, the person need to stretch to resolve.
Yes - heads up need to be sent out. Yes - collaboration need to happen. Yes - transparency need to be there and Yes - salute to your proactive communication !

However, what if the same person when raising the visibility of the issue proactively also presented 2 or 3 solutions with exact expectations from others he / she is reaching out with the issue ?

Most people help. They help when they know that the entire responsibility of some one is not transferring to them and when they know what they are helping with.

Yet, another trend in some of these people is that - they will raise the flags on each issue and them go back do it themselves anyway ! As a pattern. Issue after issue. Without anyone's help.
That creates a "visibility seeking perception" and in a long run reduces the criticality of the help request in others mind.

Betaal advises - know what to ask help on, when ! And have few proposals to fix it with help needed from others articulated well.