The Importance of Asking Colleagues for Help

I am someone that is not afraid to ask questions to further my education and knowledge. 

However, I’ve felt a certain hesitation in reaching out for advice or asking for help; when you start working somewhere new, your lack of knowledge and experience can be intimidating. 

The vulnerability in asking questions indicating my lack of knowledge on a topic is difficult for me to display to others; this vulnerability plays at my insecurities and shortcomings.  

I think this is a normal feeling for someone to have, but my willingness to be vulnerable is integral to my future success. 

There was an instance this week that crystalized this realization for me. 

One of my main objectives was to understand the Facebook Business Ads platform. I had a few questions regarding creatives and how to see more data points on the platform. I was about to ask a few questions to someone on the team when a few thoughts almost stopped me. I thought, “Should I just figure this out on my own? Everyone here is busy; I shouldn’t waste their time with my simple questions.” 

But I pushed these thoughts aside and decided to ask.

I asked my questions, and I got answers. I learned, and now I know more than I did before. 

But what I learned most from this experience didn’t come from the answers to my questions; it came from my willingness to be vulnerable and ask. 

If I hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have known. I wouldn’t have learned, and I wouldn’t have progressed in my skill development. 

Our willingness to be vulnerable and ask questions, no matter how those questions make us look, is what will propel us to the next stage in our learning and growth. 

AdVenture Media is a place where learning is in everyone’s DNA. The pursuit of consistently learning new things, but more importantly learning from everyone on the team, is what makes AdVenture Media so unique. And when I say everyone on the team learns from each other, this is best exemplified through top management’s willingness and eagerness to listen to and make changes based on feedback and tips from the rest of the team.

A few other integral differentiating factors help make AdVenture Media such a unique place to work: One is the level of trust in each employee’s intellect, despite their experience or position in the company. I think this kind of “free-expressive collaboration model” is the primary facilitator of the team’s ability to lean on creative problem-solving so frequently.

Another differentiating factor is the lack of ego among the employees here. There is a sense of self-confidence in the knowledge and experiences they have learned from, but what’s more apparent is the complete willingness to admit, accept and concede to being wrong.

Lastly, “we’re never done learning” is a core pillar of our culture. We emphasize growth and continuous education daily. The digital marketing space is ever-changing, and the need to stay relevant and keep up with best practices is integral. 

When you immerse yourself in a culture that encourages continuous learning and growth, it increases each team member’s vulnerability. Reminding ourselves that there’s so much more to learn is humbling. It allows for the development of characteristics necessary for collaborative teamwork, ultimately increasing our output quality as digital marketers.