Business English - Asking for and Offering Help Politely

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! (Warm-up)

Why is it sometimes difficult to ask for help in a professional setting? What are the potential benefits of asking for help when you need it?
Think about a time you offered help to a colleague. What motivated you to offer assistance, and what was the outcome?
In your opinion, what are some key differences between asking for help casually versus in a more formal business context?

Activity 2: New Words & Phrases (Vocabulary)

Let's explore some essential terms and phrases for politely asking for and offering assistance in the workplace.

1. Assist (verb): To help someone by doing a share of the work or by providing spiritual or moral support.

Example: Could you possibly assist me with this report? I'm having trouble with the data analysis section.

2. Overwhelmed (adjective): Feeling that something is too much to handle; having too many things to deal with.

Example: I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with my current workload; would it be possible to get some help with the presentation?

3. Appreciate (verb): To recognize the full worth of; to be grateful for something.

Example: I would really appreciate it if you could lend me a hand with these urgent tasks.

4. Lend a hand (idiom): To give someone help or assistance with something.

Example: If you're not too busy, could you lend a hand with setting up the conference room?

5. Be tied up (phrasal verb): To be very busy and unable to do other things.

Example: I'd love to help, but I'm completely tied up with the month-end reports right now.

Activity 3: Reading - The Collaborative Solution

Read the following scenario about how asking for and offering help led to a positive outcome for a team.

Liam was new to the project management team and was feeling overwhelmed by an upcoming deadline for a complex client presentation. He had spent days trying to consolidate data from various sources but was struggling to make it coherent. He hesitated to ask for help, not wanting to appear incapable. Meanwhile, Chloe, a more experienced team member, noticed Liam looking stressed. She remembered feeling similarly when she first started.

During a brief team check-in, Liam finally decided to speak up. "Excuse me, everyone," he began, "I'm a bit tied up with the data consolidation for the Alpha Project presentation. Would anyone be able to assist me or offer some guidance on how to best structure it?" Chloe immediately responded, "Liam, I'd be happy to lend a hand. I've worked on similar presentations before and might have some templates that could help." She wasn't currently overwhelmed and saw an opportunity to support a colleague. Liam expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Chloe, I would really appreciate that. Your expertise would be invaluable." Together, they reviewed the data. Chloe shared some effective visualization techniques, and Liam quickly grasped the concepts. They managed to complete a polished section for the presentation well before the deadline. The manager later praised their collaborative effort, highlighting how offering and accepting help strengthened the team's overall performance and fostered a supportive work environment.

Comprehension Questions:

After reading the passage, answer the following questions:

Why was Liam initially hesitant to ask for help?
How did Liam politely ask for assistance from his team?
What motivated Chloe to offer her help to Liam?
What were the positive outcomes of this instance of asking for and offering help?

Activity 4: Role Play - Navigating a Technical Issue

Read the following dialogue with a partner. One person can be David, who needs help, and the other can be Maria, who might be able to offer it.

David: Hi Maria, do you have a moment? I seem to be having some trouble with the new CRM software.

Maria: Hi David, sure, what's the issue? I've been using it quite a bit lately.

David: Well, I'm trying to generate a sales report, but I keep getting an error message. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed as the deadline is approaching. Would you mind taking a quick look if you're not too tied up?

Maria: Of course, I can try to assist. Let me see. Ah, yes, this error sometimes pops up if the date range isn't formatted correctly. Have you checked that?

David: Oh, I didn't think of that! Let me try adjusting it. You might have just saved me a lot of time. I really appreciate you lending a hand.

Maria: No problem at all! We all run into these little snags with new systems. Is it working now?

David: Yes, that did the trick! The report generated perfectly. Thank you so much, Maria. You're a lifesaver!

Maria: Glad I could help, David! Don't hesitate to ask if anything else comes up. We're a team, after all.

David: I definitely will. Thanks again. Is there anything I can help you with, by any chance?

Maria: Not at the moment, but I appreciate the offer! I'll keep it in mind.

Discuss Together:

After reading or performing the dialogue, discuss the following with a partner:

What phrases did David use to politely ask for help? How did he express his need without sounding demanding?
How did Maria politely offer her assistance? What made her offer effective and supportive?

Activity 5: Let's Practice - Office Assistance Role Play

Objective: Practice using key terms and phrases for asking for and offering help politely in a role-play setting.

Scenario: Kenji is struggling with a heavy box of new office supplies. Priya notices and decides to offer help. Fill in their parts of the dialogue using vocabulary from Activity 2.

Kenji: (Struggling with a large box) "Oh dear, this is heavier than I thought. I might be a bit trying to get this to the storage room on my own."

Priya: "Hi Kenji, that looks like quite a load! Would you like me to you with that? I'm not at the moment."

Kenji: "Oh, Priya, thank you so much! I would really that. If you could just help me with one side, that would be fantastic."

Priya: "Of course, happy to help. Let's get this moved. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?"

Kenji: "Absolutely! Thanks again, Priya. You've been a great help."

Try to fill in the blanks with the correct words or phrases from Activity 2.