多問一句，拓展職場人際網路 The Power of "How Can I Help?"

文/Nikki Lu 

"How can I help?"回想一下，上次聽到這句話是什麼時候、你自己多常這麼問人？面對機會，我們心裡更常想的可能是：談得到想要的條件嗎？拿得下這筆單嗎？對方肯聽我說嗎？我的英文說服得了人嗎？其實為關係加溫、建立信譽，真的就從這麼簡單的一句話開始。

進入本文前，請先想想以下單字怎麼說：

(A) 栽培 (B) 推薦介紹（人）(C) 物競天擇的

"How can I help?" This is probably one of the most common questions asked by extremely successful people. In an Inc. article, the author tells how (1) time and time again, he hears the four-word phrase from CEOs, investors, at Google, at conferences…He then realizes how it builds good karma in business and everyday life.

「我可以幫什麼忙？」這可能是成功者最常問的問題之一。Inc.的一篇文章中，作者談到他屢次從CEO、投資人、Google、會議中聽到這句話，進而瞭解到這句話是怎麼在商業世界和日常生活中建立良性的因果循環。

"By offering to help, you (A) cultivate instant rapport and establish an immediate sense of trust. Rather than waiting for people to prove themselves to you, you take the bull by the horns and prove yourself to them. A foundation is built - with striking speed and efficiency - for future interactions."

「幫助別人可使你迅速培養與對方的關係，建立信任感。比起等對方向你證明價值，你直接了當向他們證明了自己，可以說是快速又有效地建立了未來互動的基礎。」

Successful people might have started offering help way before they were successful. Their willingness to help built connections and opened doors for them, and thus led in good measure to their success. To consolidate relationships, you can't just offer help, of course. You have to follow through and actually provide it - advice, (B) referrals, expertise, anything.

成功人士可能早在成功之前就開始幫助他人了。助人的意願幫助他們建立人脈連結，得到機會，他們也因此額外成功。當然，要鞏固關係不能只是嘴上說說，必須做到底，實際提供幫助--建議，轉介人，或是你的專業，都有可能。

Business-wise, the author explains that offering help is like an investment. "You may have to stick around (2) for the long haul, or it might be a bust altogether." But he has found that more often than not, we see a healthy return from the help we extend, usually in ways that are more complex and powerful than we might imagine.

從商業角度解釋，作者說幫助人就像投資。 「你要看長遠，才不容易失敗。」不過他認為我們提供的幫助多半會獲得良好回報，而且可能比想像的回報更多重、更有力。

"We tend to think of business as calculating and sometimes ruthlessly (C) Darwinian. But the truth is that self-interest and a (3) cold shoulder will only take you so far. Regardless of how busy things are or how cut-throat the competition is, I've found that real success often starts with four simple words: 'How can I help?'"

「我們容易把商場想得充滿算計，有時是殘忍的物競天擇。事實上，只圖利自己，怠慢他人，是沒辦法走長遠的。不論多忙，競爭多激烈，我發現真正的成功常從這四個英文字開始：How can I help?」

1. Time and time again 屢次；經常

I've told you time and time again to lock both doors before you leave.

我屢次跟你說離開前兩道門都要鎖。

2. For the long haul 長遠地

I want to invest my money for the long haul, not just to get rich quickly.

我想長期投資，不是只是快速致富。

3. Cold shoulder 故意冷落人；有意怠慢

The new manager gave him the cold shoulder.

新經理刻意冷落他。

Cold shoulder還可以當動詞：

She was cold-shouldered by coworkers.

她被同事們冷落。

參考資料: Inc.com

#cultivate #referrals #darwinian

本文收錄於英語島English Island 2017年8月號  

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