Why the season of giving shouldn't be only a season (but why you should also be careful)

Published 3 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, why don't we think of giving when it comes to business?

Giving just feels better. There's even an old adage about that: "It's better to give than to receive."

I haven't met many people who don't feel that way.

But when we're in the business world, for some reason it's different.

You see it at networking events, or in your daily business interactions.

What do you see?

Takers.

There's a guy named Adam Grant, and he wrote a book called Give and Take.

Adam was a social scientist at the Wharton School of Business. He did a study on success, and what types of individuals are successful.

What he found was that there were three reciprocity styles.

To give, to take, and to match.

And each one of those reciprocity styles had varying levels of success.

Guess who ended up at the bottom?

Givers.

Woah, you didn't expect that, did you?

Why would givers end up at the bottom? Isn't that counterintuitive to where I've been leading?

It's because they're always giving. This means they don't know how to receive, and they burn themselves out.

After all, you're limited in the physical, monetary gifts you can give people, right? Too much, and it'll drain you of everything you have?

It's the same way even with your gifts of service, of connections, and of knowledge.

None of us are a bottomless well.

BUT. There was this certain subsect of givers that Adam found.

And they're the ones that actually ended up on top.

The qualities of those givers? They know/knew:

1) Where they wanted to get to, and had a vision for themselves. (So they keep their own goals in view.)

2) How to leverage connections and relationships. (So they get the most out of their interactions.)

3) How to add value at a low personal cost. (So they don't get drained.)

4) How to ask quality questions. (So they don't waste time.)

So. Be a giver. All year round. Outside and inside of business.

Just be sure to do it wisely.

Brian

Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

Work with me to transform your referral relationships. (Booking into Dec - let's talk)
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