Being Generous At Work

Just found a fascinating On Being episode with host, Krista Tippitt interviewing organizational psychologist Adam Grant. In this thought-provoking interview, Adam Grant discusses a new “success” measurement in the workplace—one derived directly from the satisfaction of being of service.

Grant also discusses the choices we make when we help others and how we help others.

“And I’ve gotten a lot clearer about this since I wrote Give and Take. I think that it fundamentally comes down to the choices we make every day about who we help, when we help, and how we help. So the “who” is, I think, pretty simple. Failed givers are the people who help anyone. Successful givers are much more likely to be thoughtful about what is this person’s history and reputation like? Before I go and overextend myself and give you 17 hours, I might want to find out if you’re likely to take advantage of me…

And it’s just like on an airplane, right? You have to secure your oxygen masks before assisting others. And the irony is, if you look at 30-plus years of data on this, the people who are the most selfless, the most altruistic, actually give less than the people who balance concern for others with concern for self.” — Adam Grant

We often find it a challenge to be of service in meaningful ways. Grant suggests that being of service doesn’t always mean being “nice.” Sometimes we need to ask hard questions and assess the ability of the person we are helping to receive and use our help. Being generous over the long haul means that we are also generous to ourselves, making sure that we can sustain our energy and resources.

Have you thought about how you can give generously and be of service in your work? Are you also taking care to balance your giving to others with taking care of yourself?

May you walk in beauty.

November photos of Medicine Lake near where I live.