HBR's 10 Must Reads on Strengthening Your Soft Skills (with bonus article "You Don't Need Just One Leadership Voice--You Need Many" by Amy Jen Su)

How to Get the Help You Need

by Heidi Grant

FEW OF US enjoy asking for help. As research in neuroscience and psychology shows, the social threats involved—the uncertainty, risk of rejection, potential for diminished status, and inherent relinquishing of autonomy—activate the same brain regions that physical pain does. And in the workplace, where we’re typically keen to demonstrate as much expertise, competence, and confidence as possible, it can feel particularly uncomfortable to make such requests.

However, it’s virtually impossible to advance in modern organizations without assistance from others. Cross-functional teams, agile project management techniques, matrixed or hierarchy-minimizing structures, and increasingly collaborative office ...