May Newsletter
- June 10th, 2019This month B-LUC's ’s book club continues with a review of "Give and Take" by Adam Grant
ARE YOU A GIVER OR A TAKER? Takers like to get more than they give. They feel that to succeed, they need to be better than others. If you’re a giver, you strive to be generous in sharing your time, energy, knowledge, skills, ideas, and connections with other people who can benefit from them.
Performance of Givers vs. Takers Research reveals that people who give their time and knowledge regularly to help their colleagues end up earning more raises and promotions in a wide range of professional settings. People tend to envy successful Takers and look for ways to knock them down a notch. In contrast, when Givers win, people are rooting for them and supporting them, and this creates a ripple effect, enhancing the success of people around them.
Talk That Talk Takers speak powerfully. This convinces group members that takers are
powerful, but it stifles information sharing, preventing members from
communicating good ideas. Givers are
more inclined toward asking questions than offering answers, talking tentatively
than boldly, admitting their weaknesses than displaying their strengths, and
seeking advice rather than imposing their views on others. This makes Givers the top sellers and negotiators.
What separates a
Successful Giver from a burned-out doormat? Selfless Givers burn out. Successful Givers are otherish: they care
about benefiting others, but they also have ambitious goals for advancing their
own interests. This ambition sustains
their energy and allows them to give more and build networks for support.
This month, I
challenge you to volunteer 2 hours. Volunteering
increases our happiness, life satisfaction, and self-esteem, adds meaning to
our lives, distracts us from our own problems, and helps us feel valued by
others.
