Important techniques

while asking for help

(making a request)

at work/business in Japan

I often ask for a favor of people around me at work. However, many people may find it difficult to make a request when the other party is busy, or they may be worried that the other party is forcing them to work … or they may find it difficult to make a request. But the better you are at your job, the better you are at asking. Here are some tips to help you get better at asking.

Today we would like to discuss about————————————–

■Advantage of good request skill at business/work

■Characteristic of a person who cannot ask someone to work and cannot ask for a favor

■5 useful Techniques When Asking for help

■Even for the same request, the response depends on how you convey it.

————————————————————————————————————-

■Advantage of good request skill at business/work

No matter how talented you are, there is a limit to the amount of work a person can do. If you try to do all the work yourself, it will take time and effort and you will make mistakes. People who are good at asking can understand what they can and cannot do and ask people around them to do what they cannot do. It’s not that you’re comfortable, you’re doing what you’re good at, and you’re covering what you’re not good at with the people around you.　This allows you to work with plenty of leeway and increase the efficiency and speed of your work throughout the workplace. In addition, by working together with people around you, communication within the company becomes active.

■Characteristic of a person who cannot ask someone to work and cannot ask for a favor

If you’re not good at asking, you may be overburdened with things you should ask someone to do, and you may miss deadlines or overwork yourself to get out of shape.　If you’re worried that your hard work doesn’t translate into positive feedback …… try to get people involved in your work, even if it’s little by little.

≪Characteristics of people who are poor at requesting≫　

• Feel compelled to do everything by oneself
• A person’s character that is said to be strong by others
• A serious hard worker
• Do not want to bother other people

■5 useful Techniques When Asking for Work

1. See when to ask

Avoid asking when the person you want to ask is busy, thinking, or waiting for an important meeting. If you’re sharing your work schedule, check the other person’s schedule and ask them, “May I talk to you for a moment?” before you get to the point.

2. Ask in a humble manner

Even if the person you ask for is a junior, make sure to keep the humble attitude of “requesting” and wording. If you ask them to do something, they will spend their time and effort doing it. Be considerate of the time and effort involved, and add words like “I’m sorry to bother you, but …”. Another point is to leave room for “Do you have time for this job?” and for the other party to judge “accept” and “not accept”.

3. Clarify the reason for asking

When you ask a favor, you have a reason to ask. If you are in a hurry, it is easy to just say “What by when?”, but it is also important to clearly say “For what? (Purpose)” and “Why ask (Reason)” to the person you are asking. For example,

“My boss told me to prepare additional materials for tomorrow’s presentation by 0 o’clock today, but I don’t think I can make it by myself. I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you make some of the documents by △ o’clock today? “

If you say, you will know the purpose, contents, reason, and deadline, and it will be easier for the person who is asked to cooperate.If a request is very important, it may be more effective to make it understood, such as “If this presentation passes, we will achieve our goal for this term.”. 

４． Tickle the other person’s ego saying, “I want you to do it!”

When you make a request, it is also important to put the other person in a good way so that he/she will accept it comfortably. For example, add words that make the other person feel better, such as “I would like to ask Mr. A who knows this industry well.” or “The material that B made before was easy to understand, so I would like to ask you.”.
The attitude of “I want you to do it for me.” and “I’d like you to trust me.” increases the possibility that your partner will cooperate with you.

5. If you are told “No”, get rid of anxiety and bring out “Yes”

When you ask someone for a favor, they might say something like, “I don’t know if I can make it ……” or “I’ve never done that before ……”. But if you simply back down there, you won’t be able to ask well. If you get a negative response from the other person, it’s likely that the other person is worried about your request. For example, if you are concerned about the delivery date, such as “I may not make the deadline.”, make suggestions to relieve the other person’s concerns, such as “How many hours can I ask you to delay the deadline?” or “I will support you, so could you help me?”. This makes it easier for you to accept requests.  If the other person still rejects you, you should thank them and say things like “Thank you for your advice. I’m sorry for the short notice. I look forward to seeing you again if I have the chance.” so that you can connect to the next opportunity.

■Even for the same request, the response depends on how you convey it.

When you ask a favor, try to express it in a way that is considerate of the other person’s feelings and position so that he/she can take on the job comfortably. Also, whether you accept requests greatly affects your daily relationships. On a regular basis, try to communicate consciously by actively helping others with their work or caring for others when you have a little time.

In conclusion, we want to say that, Japanese corporate culture is focusing on teamwork rather than individual performance. Therefore, it is very important to have proper communication with your colleague & partners. And you may need to help others and ask for help as well while needed. It is recommended you be the best person while asking for any kind of help and this characteristic will help you to achieve your goal.