As an employee, your number one duty is to fulfill your obligations; this is why you were hired. But sometimes, the task overpowers you, and you’re unable to do it alone. In this situation, it’s normal to send an email to your boss asking for help.
Continuously stressing about one aspect of your work may impact your productivity negatively. While you can try, you cannot fix everything on your own. Everyone needs a little help sometimes. And in some cases, the person in the best position to help you is your boss.
It is important not to assume that people know you need help in the workplace. It’s always best to email your boss or direct supervisor letting them know you need help with a particular task or project.
Emailing your boss to ask for help may be difficult as you would not want to appear incompetent to your boss. While it is essential to be confident, clever, and capable at your job, needing help now and again is not a sign of incompetence. If anything, it shows that you’re more interested in growth and in doing things right than you are in your ego.
In this article, we’re going to discuss everything you need to know about emailing your boss to ask for help and make this arduous task easier.
Contacting Your Boss to Ask for Help
There are tons of communication mediums used in the workplace, and all of these can be used to ask for help from your boss.
If you can ask for help in person, then you should. But in some cases, asking your boss for help in person may not be an option. There are many reasons for this, from trepidation to barely not having direct contact with your boss.
In the above, the best route you can take to ask your boss for help is via email.
Emailing your boss to ask for help is significant because, with emails, you have time to get your thoughts in order before sending out the email. It also shows you respect their time and are not badgering them.
Using an email to ask your boss for help also gives them the time to think about your question and provide the correct answers to your questions. If they’re providing said help via email, they also have more time to look through their solution and give the support you need.
How to Email Your Boss Asking for Help
When emailing your boss to ask for help, there are some things you need to know. In this section of the article, we’re going to list out everything you need to know when it comes to writing an email to your boss asking for help.
- Identify the issue: Before emailing your boss to ask for help, make sure you have identified the problem you’re having. It would be unwise to email your boss asking for help with a vague idea of the problem.
The email you’re sending to your boss should define the problem you’re having with the letter. This way, your boss knows exactly what they’re coming in to help you with.
- Ensure you have tried everything you can: Yes, you’re emailing your boss to help with a problem. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exhaust all the solutions you can think of.
In the email you send to your boss asking for help, ensure to list all the solutions you’ve attempted and why those solutions did not work. In doing this, you achieve two objectives.
- You show your boss you’re not asking for help at the first sign of difficulty. You essentially explain to them that you’ve put in the work, and they’re your last resort.
- You also show your boss what not to try. By telling your boss the ideas you’ve attempted at solving the problems, you also tell them what not to do. By doing this, you save them time and any potential back and forth that may occur.
- Approach with confidence: You may want to apologize for asking for help from your superiors, but don’t. Everyone needs help sometimes, and it’s nothing to apologize for. Part of your boss’s job is to make sure you have everything you need to excel at your job. At sometimes, what you need is help.
Do you need more time to complete a project? Do you need more hands? Then state this in your email asking for help. When sending your email, do not start with, “I’m sorry to be a bother” instead, “I’d appreciate your assistance on this project.”
- Timing is essential: If you have weeks to handle a project or task, you should let your employer know when you’re stuck. In a situation like this, please do not wait till it’s days before the deadline before asking for help.
By telling your boss well before the deadline that you need help, you give them ample time to get their thoughts in order and provide you with adequate solutions.
- Ask them about their priorities: It would be wrong for you to assume that your boss has nothing they’re currently doing and are readily available to provide you with the help you need. Instead, ask them about their priorities and make sure they don’t have any pressing tasks they need to attend to.
- Know whose help you need: While this article is titled how “Email to your boss asking for help,” you may not necessarily need help from your boss. This means your boss may not have the particular set of skills you need to execute a project properly. And going to them for help in a situation like this would be fruitless.
Instead, look for someone that excels in the area you need help and ask them for help instead.
All of the above are what you should note when sending an email to your boss asking for help. When it comes to writing emails, you also need to know the proper email etiquette. These etiquettes ensure you’re addressing and structuring your emails properly.
NB: When presenting or submitting the task you were helped with, make sure you give credit to the people that helped you. This will go a long way in your career and if you need help with any other task.
Email to Your Boss Asking for Help Sample 1
Hello Andrew,
Admittedly, I’m feeling stuck on the proposal I have to prepare for the Johnson’s. So far, I’ve tried to write them in accordance with our past proposals and nothing, but I’m still not making the desired progress I was hoping for.
We’re offering a unique set of services to Johnson’s, and frankly speaking, I’m not entirely sure how to draft the proposal to match these services.
This is why I’m coming clean and asking for your help as you’re more hands-on with the services we’re trying to render to them.
If you’re not too busy, do you have time for us to discuss this over coffee?
Thanks,
Tori Bloom
Email to Your Boss Asking for Help Sample 2
Dear Jude,
I hope you’re having a great day.
I’m emailing you today to ask for your help on a pitch deck I’m preparing. I’ve tried looking at samples from past pitch decks to understand better how to go about this, but I haven’t made much headway.
I’ve collected all the required information from the head of marketing. All I need is help to properly structure the pitch deck and make it aesthetically and structurally pleasing.
I know this is your forte, which is why I’m coming to you asking for help.
If you’re not pressed with other tasks, could we plan a date to look through it together?
Regards,
Kim Jones
Email to Your Boss Asking for Help Sample 3
Hello Jane,
I feel like I’ve been going around in circles on this ad campaign. I admit I’m feeling a little stuck targeting the right demographic.
I’ve pulled up past targeted areas and demographics from our last campaign, but this is an entirely different product, and the past demographic did not proffer much guidance.
If you’re not pressed with work, I’d like your help to ensure it’s done correctly.
Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Conclusion
We’ve listed everything you need to know about writing an email to ask your boss for help. But it is important to remember that scenarios are unique, so you may not need to follow our guidelines for the letter.
