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Phoenix666 writes:

Researchers at Michigan State University report — Don't offer co-workers help unless asked:

If you thought that proactively offering help to your co-workers was a good thing, think again. New workplace research from Michigan State University found that when it comes to offering your expertise, it's better to keep to yourself or wait until you're asked.

[...] "What we found was that on the helper side, when people engage in proactive help, they often don't have a clear understanding of recipients' problems and issues, thus they receive less gratitude for it," Johnson said. "On the recipient side, if people are constantly coming up to me at work and asking if I want their help, it could have an impact on my esteem and become frustrating. I'm not going to feel inclined to thank the person who tried to help me because I didn't ask for it."

In a strange sort of symmetry, it's also better to not proactively sabotage your co-workers, either; wait until they ask for it.

Journal Reference:
Hun Whee Lee, Jacob Bradburn, Russell E. Johnson, Szu-Han (Joanna) Lin, Chu-Hsiang (Daisy) Chang. The benefits of receiving gratitude for helpers: A daily investigation of proactive and reactive helping at work.. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2018; DOI: 10.1037/apl0000346

Original Submission