Help people help themselves It is interesting how many of us hoard information and knowledge. Knowledge used to provide competitive advantages, but not anymore! I have seen it time and again in the workplaces and even in our classrooms where if you ask for help, rather than providing the source and explaining how to solve the problem, the tendency for a colleague is to actually go and solve the problem. That helps but remember the old adage,“Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” People are happy when their problem is solved but they will be delighted when they learn how to solve it themselves. One doubt you may have is that if you share everything (including the source) why would anyone come to you again? Would sharing make you dispensable? My point is that with all the resources that are available, most often, people can find the information all by themselves. By helping people help themselves, you are taking the road less traveled. Next time, when people ask for help, see if you can provide enough information so that the person can solve the problem himself or herself. He or she will thank you for that. You will have the satisfaction of helping someone grow rather than just solving a tactical problem.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 12:37:00 +0000
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