Want to foster a spirit of generosity at your organization?
One way to increase productivity and employee engagement at your workplace is through generosity. The University of Michigan’s Center for Positive Organizations says that 70-90% of the help given in the workplace is in response to requests for help. But how do you get team members to ask for the help they need? One way is through regular “I have, I need” exercises.
In this exercise, employees take turns at the end of a meeting, sharing any resources they may have that others would benefit from (I have) and asking for any help they need. Establishing this as a regular practice in your organization can contribute to an increase in generosity.
Here is an example:
I have: “I wanted to share with the group that I recently attended a training on our point of sales program, and it was really insightful. If you want to hear more about it, I would love to grab a coffee and share what I learned.”
I need: “I am looking for a way to survey our donors. I am trying to collect feedback from segmented donor groups to get a better feel of how they’d like to communicate. However, I have never done something like this before. If anyone has any experience creating surveys, I would love to chat with you about it.”
Why invest in fostering generosity on your team?
Learning how to ask for resources, such as help and assistance, advice, feedback, and information, builds a culture of generosity. Research shows that people perform better, are more creative, and more satisfied in their positions in a workplace culture that celebrates and supports generosity; Employees have stronger work relationships, and organizations benefit from greater retention and increased profits. Help-seeking is a professional skill that many people have not learned. More mainstream messages suggest it is a sign of weakness. Investing time to break down these internalized messages that inhibit the team dynamics you want will be well worth your time.
Want to know more? Reach out to me, Meghan Scheidel, and find out how Empowered Development Consulting can help you.