The How Can I Help Offer
“How Can I Help” Call— Your Offer
For an “How Can I Help” call– just by calling you are showing that you care. Letting someone know that you are available can mean a lot. True, people often don’t know what to ask for, but with good listening and questioning skills, you may be able to find out enough to know what to offer.
Support comes in many forms – a shoulder to cry on, an ear that listens, a word of encouragement, a piece of information, a hand to hold for comfort.
How to Be Clear When Teaching a Task –English Speech Communication
Be Clear When Teaching a Task
Recall the last time you assigned a person to complete a task for you at work or in daily life –family or friend?
Tips for being clear in that circumstance:
- Set the climate.
Use a place conducive for listening.–specially level of background noise
Get a time when your colleague or helper is free to pay attention.
- Give the big picture.
Describe the overall objectives because people need to see where their part fits into the whole. Then they feel they are part of the bigger, more important goal.
- Describe the steps of the task.
That’s the critical part of the task teaching. If the task is already printed in an instruction manual, you still need to go over these steps to assure yourself that the colleague or helper is familiar with the steps.
But if the steps are not written, have the person write the list as you are discussing the steps. That increases the likelihood that the colleague or helper will remember all the steps.
- Describe the resources.
Point out other references on the task— perhaps a manual or a You Tube video, if there are any.
Including refering to people who have worked on this task before.
- Invite questions.
Often there’s the feeling we don’t have time to answer questions. Better to give extra explanation than be unhappy with the results. Do open-ended questions, such as “What questions do you have?” Avoid saying “You don’t have any questions, do you?” The open-ended question invites responses.
- Get the person to summarize his or her strategy for accomplishing the task.
That assures you and the other person that the steps for the task are well understood.
You could use this sentence: “Call me compulsive – I need you to summarize how you will get this done.” You are taking responsibility and thus reduce the defensiveness in the other person.
- Agree on a date to follow-up.
Follow-up date depends on how complex and the value of the task. For complex and/or very important tasks, an earlier date for initial follow-up works well.
When you speak, ask if you are being clear by saying, “Are you following me?”
That can remind the other person to listen more carefully. If the point you are making is critical, ask the other person to repeat the information back, just to be sure you are communicating effectively.
And, don’t forget to express your appreciation and gratitude that your colleague or helper is assisting you. Smile!
Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.
Offer Your Help
Offer Your Help- Make a Call
Make this call to offer support and make yourself available as a resource. When you hear about a project or challenge someone is facing, reach out and call. If you hear someone is job searching you can call and offer ideas and moral support.
Ask questions to find out what is really needed.
How to ask for a date
How to ask for a date?
Getting started is the hardest.
People who speak English as a second language often ask about colloquial or typical prases for asking a person out for a date. They want the general North American pattern of that conversation, In the United States, males can ask and females can ask.
Warmup Question
“How are you?”
“How’s it going?”
Rationale: The answer tells whether to proceed forward. Tone of voice and body language may indicate that the other person is going through a very hard time, say, an accident or death in the family. Such a circumstance is not a good time to ask for a date.
Ask about Schedule
“What are you doing tonight?”
“Do you have any plans on (day of the week)?”
Rationale: If the person has another commitment or is exhausted, then regroup on your plan for when to do this date.
Mention Activity
“There’s this cool (activity idea) coming up.”
“I’ve been meaning to check out (activity idea)”
Rationale: The appeal of the activity idea might be enough to persuade the other person that going out with you is a great idea!
Ask for agreement to date or activity
“Do you want to go out?”
“Do you want to (activity idea)?”
Rationale: Be direct and to the point even if feeling shy or uncertain about the other person’s answer. If you are not, then the other person may not even know that she/he has been asked out.
Compliment
“You’re just fun to hang out with.”
“You’re just so interesting.”
Rationale: Compliments help other persons know what is their appeal to you.
Advancing the idea or giving an encouraging description
“It’ll be a lot of fun.”
“The weather’s going to be great.”
“I’ve heard (activity idea) is awesome.”
Rationale: Focusing on the activity and the pleasure eases some of the uncertainty and pressure on the other person to say yes.
Retreat or allowing for space to decide
“Just thought I’d put it out there.”
“Only if it sounds like fun.”
“No pressure.”
“Figured it was worth asking.”
Rationale: Notice the body language to determine whether they are indecisive and not sure. Take the pressure off to make it easier for them to agree to go out with you, or not go out with you, on this occasion. Also taking the pressure off doesn’t lock them into never going out with you. For example, if you suggest ice skating, they could turn you down because they don’t know how to ice skate.
Once you have the basic phrases engrained in your mind (memorized), combine for what fits your circumstance.
To be redundant, observe body language to interpret the other’s response to doing a date or activity with you. With that, you could proceed with enthusiasm in the form of advancing the idea or giving an encouraging description. Or you could decide to go with a bit of humbleness in the form of a retreat. Both are follow-up phrases which give the other person time and space to decide if she or he wants to go out or do an activity with you.
If rejection comes because of the activity, ask the other person what activity she/he would feel comfortable or excited about.
Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercises.
Take Detached Look at Your Comfort Zone for Interaction
Take a Detached Look at your Comfort Zone for Interacting with Others.
Taking a detached look at your comfort zone for people interaction can be unsettling, but it reveals a characteristic which you can choose to accept or change.
–Are you comfortable or at ease making conversation with someone you don’t know at a meeting, convention or conference?
—Do you avoid making eye contact with people in hallways, elevators and airplanes?
—Can you respond easily when someone tries to include you in a conversation?
Key words here are “making conversation,” ” eye contact,” and “easy response when someone tries to include you in a conversation” Therein lies the steps toward expanding your comfort zone for interaction.
