General
Helping Others
The act of a person or thing that helps, giving aid, assistance, support, or the like.
Implications
10 ways of helping others at the workplace - 1) Communicate regularly
Open and honest communication is the foundation of a successful team. This is true whether it’s face-to-face or virtually, as it helps us build the interpersonal skills necessary for effective teamwork. Sharing ideas, points of view, information, and expertise helps to keep everyone informed and in the loop.
For managers and leaders, this means clearly communicating what needs to be done, what the latest successes are, and which areas need focus and attention. Communication is also about giving and receiving feedback, brainstorming ideas, and listening to one another.
For those not in a management role, communication is still vital. Touching base with those around you, whether senior, junior, or on the same level as you, helps establish connections. Doing so can help to build relationships, and means everyone gets a chance to express themselves and their ideas. 2) Check-in regularly
A laissez-faire approach to teamwork isn’t always the best solution. It can be tempting to just let people get on with their daily tasks and only check in with others when a crisis hits. Although micromanagement isn’t fun for anyone, regular catch-ups can be beneficial. Progress meetings for projects, as well as personal development, can help to keep everyone on the same page.
It’s a two-way process as well – leaders should make sure their team has access to regular and scheduled support and feedback, and everyone should take an active role in their own development.
You should also mentally check in with yourself every now and then. Trying to tune in to yourself and your feelings can make it easier to express your needs and your ideas when the time comes. Practices like mindfulness can be particularly helpful in identifying and assessing your inner feelings and experiences. 3. 3) Be inclusive
If you’re trying to support your team at work, it’s likely that there is a diverse range of people that you’ve got to appeal to. Although this range of personalities, mannerisms, and approaches can seem intimidating, these differences need to be celebrated.
It can be easy to dismiss or tune out ideas that don’t align with your own. However, doing so can be damaging to morale and cause tension, leaving others to feel unheard or disregarded. No matter what your role in your team is, you can support others by remembering the importance of balance.
Differing opinions and disagreements should be acknowledged and dealt with respectfully. Often, these can be learning opportunities and a chance for positive compromise and understanding. Everyone should have the confidence to be heard, and everyone can make an effort to be inclusive.
4) Learn to prioritise
Being able to plan out the essential tasks can make it easier to manage your work environment. Whether you’re prioritising your own work or that of your entire team, the process contributes towards the overall functioning of the group.
The work environment brings together a wide range of specialisations and knowledge. Often, the success of one area of the business relies on a host of other people completing their tasks. So, by prioritising your own work, you’re making sure that someone else can prioritise theirs. It’s also a useful way of keeping productive and making decisions.
Again, from the point of view of a leader, you can assist those around you by helping them prioritise their workload. This can make their workload seem more manageable and helps to support your team at work. 5) Empower others
Empowering those around you is a highly efficient way of offering support to your team. Yet it’s not necessarily an easy term to define. Essentially, it’s giving others the opportunity to think for themselves, and to make decisions and take action based on their own judgement.
It’s a fairly nuanced way of supporting others, but there are several steps you can take to empower them. Delegation is often a key part of it, as it shows trust and faith in them. Similarly, you’ll want to define boundaries and expectations for how much freedom they have.
A crucial part of empowerment is giving appropriate and constructive feedback, making sure that the full impact of decisions and actions are discussed. Although this point focuses mainly on those in leadership roles, it’s possible for everyone to contribute to an environment where everyone feels empowered. Supporting discussion, ideas, and a positive work environment all contribute. 6) Work on your emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is one of the most in-demand soft skills that employers are looking for at the moment. It’s not hard to see why. This skill is the ability to understand, use, and manage your emotions, as well as recognise how other people do the same. It’s often linked with empathy and social awareness and can help with collaboration and motivation in the workplace. 7) Set reasonable goals
People like to know what their purpose is. In the workplace, collaboration relies on everyone having a shared set of goals and expectations. Working towards a common aim can unite people, engage them with the task at hand, and add enthusiasm to the process. This becomes particularly important when it comes to things like remote working.
That being said, having too much pressure to hit targets can have the opposite effect, leaving people feeling burned out and frustrated. It’s therefore important to have reasonable goals that the team as a whole can work towards. Similarly, each member should take responsibility for setting their personal goals, as this leads to things like accountability, growth, and career development. 8) Take breaks together
Breaks are an important part of everyone’s workplace routine. There are many benefits that come with taking them, and many negatives associated with not. Taking time away from your desk helps you to process and retain information, as well as boosting your creativity and productivity.
Taking your breaks with members of your team can help to build relationships and create a sense of togetherness. It doesn’t have to be a formal or even a regular arrangement, but it can help to keep everyone focused and motivated and encourage discussions and openness in the team. There have even been studies that show those who talk more with co-workers are more productive. 9) Focus on wellbeing
Taking into account individual wellbeing, both others’ and your own, is an essential way to support your team at work. We’ve already mentioned how important it is for people to feel heard, included, and valued. It’s also vital that everyone has a positive work/life balance and an environment where mental health and wellbeing can be openly discussed.
Promoting wellbeing benefits everyone, resulting in a healthier and more inclusive culture where people feel engaged and have better morale. There are many ways to focus on wellbeing, whether it’s taking a more active role in your own or encouraging other people to think about theirs10) Promote growth
The workplace should be a place where everyone has the opportunity to improve themselves and grow professionally. To support your team at work, try to cultivate an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable learning and developing.
From a leadership perspective, this could mean creating opportunities for mentoring, training, or learning on the job. By promoting the spreading of skills among your team, you can encourage them to learn from each other and solve problems together.
No matter what your level of responsibility is, you can help to create a working environment where people are willing to learn and to teach. Whether it’s through asking questions, helping others understand, or taking on further training, you can continue to grow. .
