What does it mean to be a giver in a work setting?
Giving is about aligning your contribution to the bigger picture and valuing the success of those around you as much as you value your own. And the truth is, giving benefits the giver just as much as it does the receiver.
Everyone has moments of giving and taking, but each person also has a giving style they tend to default to. Your giving style can have a huge impact on your relationships and your career. According to Adam Grant, there are 3 styles: givers, takers and matchers. Givers tend to have an enterprise-wide spirit, focused on contributing to the greater good. They don’t seek anything in return and possess a mindset that “we’re all in this together.” Takers are mainly focused on their own goals and objectives. And Matchers like to keep it even. Matchers believe in quid pro quo – they’ll do something for others if they know they’ll get something in return.
Out of all 3 styles, givers are the ones who contribute the most to making the overall organization better. Data shows that organizations with more givers than takers on their teams are more successful. They enjoy more innovation, more collaboration and overall better results. Being a successful giver comes with many perks too: stronger relationships, increased happiness and higher performance at work.
The question is, can you give too much? It depends. Givers have to be careful of burnout if they push themselves beyond their own limit and don’t attend to their own needs. It’s important not to give so much that your performance suffers because you’re too busy helping others. It’s all about balance.
Review the statements below to help you determine your default giving style.
Assessment
Reflect on the statements below to determine with which category you best identify.
Add up your rankings. Is it close to 10, or is it close to 50? If you scored higher, you’re a giver! If you scored on the lower end, you may be a taker. And if you scored somewhere in the middle, it’s likely that you’re a matcher.
Reflecting on your score, what changes do you want to make when it comes to your own personal giving style?