LoginGet started

Are you a giver or a taker? | Adam Grant

TED・2 minutes read

Givers in workplaces prioritize helping others over their own work, while takers are self-serving, leading to paranoia and burnout among givers. Despite the belief that matchers would be the best performers, data shows that givers consistently achieve the best results, benefiting organizations with higher profits, customer satisfaction, and employee retention.

Insights

  • Givers, despite often being the worst performers in organizations due to prioritizing helping others, actually lead to higher profits, customer satisfaction, and employee retention, benefiting organizations greatly.
  • Creating a culture that values giving over taking can eliminate takers, prevent burnout in givers, and redefine success as centered on contribution, ultimately fostering an environment where givers thrive and pronoia, the belief that others are conspiring for one's well-being, becomes a reality.

Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free

Recent questions

  • What are the characteristics of givers in workplaces?

    Givers prioritize helping others over their own work, sacrificing themselves for the betterment of their organizations. They tend to acknowledge and support individuals lower in hierarchy, fostering a culture of giving.

  • How do takers impact workplace dynamics?

    Takers tend to rise quickly but fall just as fast, as they are self-serving in interactions and prioritize their own success over others. Matchers often punish takers in a quest for justice, highlighting the negative impact takers can have on team dynamics.

  • What is the key to creating a successful workplace culture?

    To create a culture where givers succeed, it is crucial to protect them from burnout and encourage help-seeking as a norm. Weeding out takers is more effective than bringing in givers, as one taker can negatively impact a team more than a giver can positively influence it.

  • How do organizations benefit from having givers in their teams?

    Organizations benefit greatly from givers who help and share knowledge, leading to higher profits, customer satisfaction, and employee retention. Despite the belief that matchers would be the best performers, data shows that givers consistently achieve the best results in various fields.

  • What is the impact of fostering a culture of giving in organizations?

    By fostering a culture that values giving over taking, organizations can eliminate takers, encourage seeking help, prevent burnout in givers, and redefine success as centered on contribution rather than competition. This ultimately promotes a world where givers thrive and pronoia, the belief that others are conspiring for one's well-being, becomes a reality.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

"Givers vs. Takers: Workplace Dynamics Revealed"

  • Paranoia in workplaces is often caused by "takers" who are self-serving in interactions, while "givers" approach interactions by asking what they can do for others.
  • A test can determine if one is more of a giver or a taker, with most people falling in the middle as "matchers" who balance give and take.
  • Surveys across industries show that givers tend to be the worst performers, as they prioritize helping others over their own work.
  • Organizations benefit greatly from givers who help and share knowledge, leading to higher profits, customer satisfaction, and employee retention.
  • Givers often sacrifice themselves for the betterment of their organizations, but suffer along the way.
  • Takers tend to rise quickly but fall just as fast, with matchers often punishing takers in a quest for justice.
  • Despite the belief that matchers would be the best performers, data shows that givers consistently achieve the best results in various fields.
  • To create a culture where givers succeed, it is crucial to protect them from burnout and encourage help-seeking as a norm.
  • Effective team building involves weeding out takers rather than bringing in givers, as one taker can negatively impact a team more than a giver can positively influence it.
  • Agreeableness does not necessarily correlate with giving or taking tendencies, as agreeable givers and disagreeable takers exist, highlighting the importance of understanding inner motives over outer demeanor.

12:01

"Promoting a Culture of Giving in Organizations"

  • Givers are more likely to acknowledge and support individuals lower in hierarchy, while takers excel at flattery but are prone to mistreating others. By fostering a culture that values giving over taking, organizations can eliminate takers, encourage seeking help, prevent burnout in givers, and redefine success as centered on contribution rather than competition, ultimately promoting a world where givers thrive and pronoia, the belief that others are conspiring for one's well-being, becomes a reality.
Channel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatar

Try it yourself — It’s free.