Surely there cannot be anything more gratifying than helping someone. Whether it be lending them something, doing a favour, giving advice or just being there for someone, it must be one of the most rewarding things we can do as human beings. It could be the single most selfless act there is.
What though, when someone wants you help and you don’t know what to do? Not if you help them or not, you definitely want to do that, it’s that you don’t know how to help. You don’t have an answer, you don’t have a suggestion, you have absolutely no idea what to do.
I’m sure we’ve all been there. Its awful, cause every part of you wants to be able to give them what they want.
I’ve worked with many leaders and managers who face this every day. Countless requests and meetings where people look to them for the answers, solutions and support. There are many occasions when they can help, but there are also many when they just don’t know what to do.
The danger in these situations is that you’ll come up with something and I don’t mean in that moment of enlightenment type way. I mean in the way of ‘say something, say anything’ type of way. Well, it’ll be luck, chance and a little bit of magic if that works for them.
When you find yourself in those situations, when you don’t know, say you don’t know, but also do everything you can to understand, to empathise, to be there and listen.
Sometimes you might not know the right thing to do but the fact that you want to help someone, helps them.
