Why You Shouldn’t Help Your Colleagues Unless They Ask For It

By October 25, 2018For Talent

If you saw your colleague struggling with a mammoth project or panicking before a big meeting what would you do?

You like to think you would do the right thing and help them out, right? Maybe offer your advice or give some suggestions on how to fix the situation.

But apparently offering unsolicited advice in the workplace can actually lead to a toxic environment.

New research published by University of Michigan researchers in the Journal of Applied Psychology examined how employees feel when they receive a helping hand from their colleagues.

For the study, the scientists surveyed over 700 people to decipher how grateful the recipients felt about receiving help.

Interestingly they found that people who were given assistance without asking for it felt their self-esteem and job security drop.

 

The author goes on to explain that when people give help without being asked, “They often don’t have a clear understanding of recipients’ problems and issues, thus they receive less gratitude for it.”

Author Alice Murray

Alice Murray is a Content Creator at Jobbio with a passion for Employer Branding and Graduate Culture. She's a keen traveller and a self-proclaimed lazy runner.

More posts by Alice Murray

Leave a Reply