How do you accept help? Last month we had our annual holiday department luncheon. I had organized the entire event because I want it to be somewhat of a surprise to my department. The food, the decorations, even the holiday movie trivia game this year was a surprise to everyone. It gives me such joy to see everyone arrive in the meeting room and smell the smells of whatever meal I have ordered for them and take in the sights and sounds of the winter wonderland that I have created for them. During the luncheon I will walk around making sure that everyone has what they need. A refill of a side dish or a slice of dessert, whatever it takes to make my department feel that they are thought of and well taken care of.
After the party was over, I was asked if I needed help. Of course my reply was “no”. I wanted the experience to continue for the rest of the afternoon and to me helping clean up would break the “caring” feeling that I was trying so hard to evoke. Several people asked a couple of times if they could help me with the clean up and I continued to answer with “no thank you”.
Later in the afternoon I began to think about how I would feel if I really wanted to help someone who had just given of themselves and I was not allowed to. It made me think about another time when I had said no thanks to help from a friend I had years ago. This very good and wise friend had said to me that by not allowing anyone to help me, I was not letting (I believe the word she used was “robbing”) others to feel the same joy. Ouch!!!
In my many years of Admining, I have experienced that a good portion of Administrative Professionals are hardcore people pleasers!!! I am a people pleaser who always wants to do for others. But if it would “please” others to help me, am I truly a people “pleaser”?
Thank you Beth, (my good and wise friend from years ago) and Kristin (my good and wise friend and co-worker from this holiday department luncheon), for reminding me to allow others to help me. I do not ever want to be accused again of robbing others of joy.
How do you take help? Are you a robber or a receiver? Please let us know in the comments below.
Jackie