A colleague withdraws, stops joking, lets slip “I can’t take it anymore,” and you don’t know where to start.
Taking over a colleague’s work, piling on advice, carrying their problems home: trying too hard to help wears you out and keeps them from getting back on their own two feet. This module shows where the line runs between help that frees and help that traps.
~20 min at your own paceKey skill: Supporting Colleagues in DifficultyAvailable in FR + ENNo prerequisites
What you’ll take away
- a checklist of the behavior changes that should alert you
- the habit of asking the right question: “What do you need to progress?”
- the full outline of a support conversation, follow-up included
Who it’s for
Any colleague or manager who sees a teammate struggling and wants to help without taking over.
Learning objectives
- Spot signs of distress in a colleague (behavior, habits, performance, relationships, physical signs) without making a diagnosis.
- Recognize the rescuer trap (Karpman triangle) to help without creating dependence or burning out.
- Hold a six-step support conversation, from a shared observation to follow-up, with a peer or a manager.
- Set a kind boundary and point the person to the right resources when the situation goes beyond help between colleagues.
How does this module work?
The steps of the Adaptive module.
- Self-assessmentOn nine dimensions, to gauge current habits and guide the practice.
- Expert videoA ~10 min video with three pauses for reflection.
- Practice scenariosThe first two scenarios chosen from the self-assessment, then sixteen more, optional. Every answer gets feedback: what it leads to, and one way to improve.
- Dated commitmentOne action to try, written by the learner or chosen from the suggestions.
- Memo to downloadKey takeaways, questions, commitment, personal notes, and checklists.
Duration: ~20 min. Excluding bonus practice scenarios and optional in-depth content.
