LEARN COMMUNICATION.
Day 7: Ofer A Helping Hand When ofering someone help, tell them exactly why you are reaching out: When you do this, the
other person will understand that your ofer is motvated by a desire to make their life easier. Make it
clear that you don’t want to order them around.For example, let’s suppose that your friend has recently moved into a house that requires extensive
structural and cosmetc work. When you visit them in their new home, you note that the place is a
complete mess. Your friend appears tred, almost on the verge of tears.They tell you that the house is proving to be a far bigger project than they’d antcipated. You want
to ofer to help your friend, but you don’t want to patronize them by implying that they can’t possibly
undertake the work alone. Ask “How can I help?” or “Can I help by doing X?” instead of making a vague ofer of assistance:
Does the following situaton sound familiar? You’ve had some bad news. You tell someone else about
it. They say, “Just call me if you need help”, or “If I can do anything, let me know”.What’s the lesson here? If you are ofering help , make your ofer specifc. Failing that, at least ask a
queston that gives the other person a chance to let you know what they need. Think about the day-to-
day challenges someone in their situaton might face.For example, if your friend’s child is in hospital, you might realize that shopping for groceries and
keeping the house clean may seem overwhelming under the circumstances. You could ask, “Can I help
by doing a grocery run?” or “Would you like me to come over and do the housework for you?”.The same principles apply in the case of minor problems. If your colleague appears overworked and
stressed one morning, don’t just stand there and say, “You look busy, so let me know if you need help.”
It would be beter to say, for example, “Can I help by doing that fling for you?” or “Would you like me
to take the notes for this afernoon’s meetng?”