Do you find it easy or hard to ask for help when you're stuck at work or in your studies?

A natural way to answer

It's got easier with experience. When I was younger I worried that asking would make me look incompetent. Now I see it differently — asking the right question early actually saves everyone time and stops small problems from snowballing.

Key phrases to use

• struggle on — to keep trying despite difficulty, often without help“I tend to struggle on rather than ask.”
• sorts it out — to solve or deal with a problem“Ask Tom — he'll sort it out in no time.”
• snowballing — growing quickly bigger or worse, building on itself“A tiny error ended up snowballing into a real mess.”
• reinvent the wheel — to waste effort creating something that already exists“There's a template for this — no need to reinvent the wheel.”
• chink in your armour — a small weakness in someone who otherwise seems strong“Admitting you're stuck isn't a chink in your armour.”