There
is a new book that I have recently added to my reading list called Give and Take by Adam Grant,
which is about how some of the most successful people in life
are categorized as "Givers" or people who try to add value in others’ lives
without expecting anything in return. The author, Adam Grant, is a professor at
Wharton who has done research studies around motivation and has
categorized people as Givers, Takers, and Matchers to determine what traits successful
people have in common.
The
surprising fact that I learned from a interview with the author and articles about the book is that it turns out that Givers are over-represented at both the
top and the bottom of professional success.
What differentiates those Givers at the top versus at the bottom is that the Givers at the top learn how to set boundaries for themselves instead of helping everyone all
of the time without taking their own interest into consideration, which helps keep them from
burning out or becoming a doormat.
Most
entrepreneurs view being a Matcher as the safest strategy when it comes to
networking. When someone helps them or makes a connection for them, they will
remember that favor and try to return the favor down the road. However, one way
we can all learn to become more of a Giver without feeling like we need to help
everyone all of the time is to think of what we can offer someone else that is
valuable, but may only take us a few minutes, performing acts that have a high benefit to
the other person at a low cost to ourselves. This way Givers will be less likely to run out of
time, energy and resources when helping other people.
In order to learn more about applying these principles, I
went ahead and took the free self-assessment online to learn what my own
default style was on the book's website: http://giveandtake.com/
I
found the assessment helpful in confirming how I viewed myself on the Give and Take
spectrum, but it also helped me reflect more about what types of giving I enjoy.
Both making introductions and mentoring not
only give me a sense of helping others, but both of these acts also cost me
very little and I know they can be valuable for the people I interact with.
