ABSTRACT
To a greater or lesser extent we are all helpers. Some of us work in roles that are concerned almost exclusively with helping others: for example, consultants, social workers and AIDS counsellors. Others, such as personnel managers, systems analysts, priests and undertakers, are engaged in roles that, while not exclusively concerned with helping, involve helping as a major part of the job. However, almost everyone spends some of their time at work (and elsewhere) helping others. This might involve a colleague who requires help to improve her relationship with a major customer, a subordinate who is experiencing difficulties coping with the pressure of work, or a friend who has recently been bereaved.
