Doing It All as a Solo Parent (HBR Working Parents Series)

7

All the Help We Can Get

An interview with Heidi Grant by Amy Gallo

Quick Takes

• Identify what help you need
• Don’t assume the person will say no
• Avoid asking for help by text or email
• Be respectful of their time
• Show them you really need the help

So many obstacles can get in the way of us asking for help. Fear of being judged or looking weak, uncertainty in how to make the ask, or simply assuming that others are too busy to help prevent us from reaching out.

Heidi Grant is a social psychologist who specializes in the science of motivation—and she argues that you can ask for help. In this conversation, Heidi joins Harvard Business Review editor Amy Gallo to talk through how to figure out what you actually need and the right ways to ask those ...