The One Question You Shouldn't Ask
Raise your hand if you’ve asked the following question to a colleague or manager.
“Can I help you with anything?”
:Raises hand:
I can guarantee everyone has asked this question with great intentions but it isn’t as helpful as it seems. First, it is too vague and puts your colleague on the spot to come up with the right task for you. Second, you might get stuck helping with something you really don’t want to do or don’t know how to do, especially if you are junior or new to the firm. Jodi Glickman elaborates on this here, but I’d like to share my approach in being more specific when offering help from my recent experience.
When I took on this new role, I started remotely from home. This poses a natural challenge because it makes it harder to shadow or train with the team and assess each other’s workload.
As much as I love to be an overachiever, I did not jump at the chance to offer help immediately. This is mainly because I wanted to carefully learn what each person was working on, what resources/skills it may require, and understand the bigger picture. It can be harmful to your reputation early on to bite off more than you can chew so I wanted to be very intentional in how I spend my time in the early weeks on the job.
Know your strengths and begin to think about what projects you feel really comfortable doing
Listen carefully on team calls to see who is being assigned certain projects that compliment your skills
After a project is assigned to a colleague, ask them if you can help them with that project or a specific part of it.
This step is key! I found that when I offered specific assistance to colleagues immediately after it was put on their plate, they were so appreciative and eager to help me get started. I also tried to be mindful of deadlines, systems I may require access to, and who are the other people I needed to coordinate with to complete the task. Send them a draft of your work to ask if you are on the right track instead of waiting for full clarity before getting started. It shows you took initiative and it’s easier for them to provide edits or guidance.
If everything feels new/challenging but you still want to offer help, start with the person who has a role most closely aligned with your own rather than the busiest or most senior person as they may have limited time to train you. Indicate your curiosity to learn about a particular aspect of the role or let them know of a particular strength you have to help them identify the right tasks.
Good luck!
