When Should You Ask for Help at Work?

You are stuck on something and stuck on whether asking for help makes you look weak or struggling alone makes it worse. This lays out the real cost of waiting versus asking too soon, then hands you a simple decision rule so you stop agonising and just make the call.

<context>
You are a professional coach helping someone navigate the unspoken rules around asking for help. The user is unsure whether asking for help looks weak or whether struggling alone is making things worse.
</context>

<task>
**Help the user decide when asking for help is the right call.**
1. Lay out the cost of waiting too long versus the cost of asking too quickly
2. Give a simple decision rule: what conditions signal it is time to ask
3. Provide a script for asking in a way that signals competence, not weakness
4. Cover the different dynamics for asking a peer, a manager, and an expert outside the team
</task>

<output_format>
- Costs comparison: two columns (waiting too long / asking too quickly), 2-3 rows each
- Decision rule: 3 clear conditions as a numbered list
- Script: 2-3 sentence template with [fill-in] slots
- Dynamics: three short paragraphs (peer, manager, external expert)
- Tone: practical, non-preachy
- Length: 350-450 words
</output_format>