Ways of Giving in the Workplace

It always works – and it always surprises people.

In my interactions with different groups at TEOCO, and elsewhere, I frequently talk of the joy of giving, and in particular, the joy of giving in the workplace. I like to ask: “What are the different things that you could give your co-workers?”

Initially, I get puzzled looks, so, I provide some examples: “You could give advice to your co-worker … or you could give praise.”

‘Advice’, ‘praise’ … everyone now begins to get the drift. But they still seem puzzled. “There can’t be more than four or five things,” they typically say. I reply that I know of at least twenty, and then I invite participants to contribute their own ideas.

That’s when everyone gets caught up with the game. “Knowledge!” somebody shouts out. Then someone else calls out, “opportunity!”

‘Advice’, ‘praise’, ‘knowledge’, ‘opportunity’ … the list grows! Soon we have ‘trust’, ‘respect’, ‘time’, and so on.

By now, everyone realizes just how many different things we can offer our co-workers, and how easy it is to give. Actually, it isn’t just easy, it is also enjoyable. Giving is an act that is guaranteed to provide joy and build great team camaraderie. This is the way to create a caring and giving workplace – with no bitterness, angst, or acrimony. This is how tomorrow should be. At TEOCO we are trying to create that tomorrow today and every day.

Below are more examples of what you can give to your co-workers. Can you add even more ideas to the list?

P.S.: As I was lying in bed last night, I wondered if I could add a few more words to the list. I came up with four more: importance, love, belief and priority. Of those, I know how powerful ‘belief’ is and ‘importance’ is not far behind.

With special thanks to Srinivas Bhogle for his support and contribution to this project.