Asking for help is on the list of things that everyone needs to do but very few people like doing. Often it is Google that is our phone a friend when we are stumped instead of an actual friend. It can be difficult for us to open up the uncertain, vulnerable side of ourselves to people we know. I like to think that I am good at asking for help, but, even if I am, I could be better.
The reality is that no one is an expert in everything. None of us can truly be excellent at every part of our jobs or lives. Others have experiences that we cannot imagine or that can help us through something we are facing. Others can provide guidance and advice on pitfalls to avoid or how to think about something differently.
It is not a question of age, but of experience. Gen Zs straight out of college are going to know some tools and tricks that we have not thought of because we never had the need to learn them. But similarly, they are not going to know the ins and outs of internal politics that could make the best answer in the world a non-starter if it is not handled correctly. There is a give and take to everything.
There are many ways to ask for help, some more direct than others. You may find that you ask for help more often than you expect when you stop and think about it. “I have a quick question.” “Can you point me in the right direction?” “Would you mind helping me out with something?” “I keep running into a wall and cannot understand why.” “Do you know why this person keeps shooting down my suggestions?” “What do you think about this?”
Help is helpful (he said redundantly). We can all use it sometime. It is not bad to ask.