Did you know that organizations with “giver” cultures consistently outperform those with “taker” cultures? A giver culture is one in which people spontaneously help, support and mentor colleagues with no regard for anything in return. In a taker culture, people are internally competitive and act only in their own best interests. In fact, giver cultures even outperform “matching” cultures, where people help only those who have given them help.
This finding is based on research that examined the highest performing intelligence communities post 9/11, but has since been validated in dozen of organizations in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to call centers. An article in the McKinsey Quarterly written by Adam Grant, author of Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, sums it up beautifully. Whether you measure costs, revenue, customer satisfaction, innovation, or speed to market- collaborative cultures outperform others.
One point in the Grant article particularly struck me. A pharmaceutical company conducted an exercise called a “reciprocity ring” in which people asked one another for and offered help. The company realized an immediate $50,000 gain, which the consultants said was not unusual. This use of a well-structured exercise, we would call it a “protocol,” is a perfect example of the kind of tool we use every day in our consulting and training work. Correctly applied, these protocols can be powerful and culture-shifting, without being complicated.
The main take-aways of the Grant article are striking too:
- Screen out takers, who we have traditionally called “strongly competitive,” because they may do more harm than good. It turns out they are pretty easy to spot. Instead, pack your company with smart givers.
- Acknowledge and reward the givers. Don’t get so caught up in individual performance you ignore the things that enable outstanding team performance.
- Create structures that teach, support and reward helping activities. We have found nothing that works better than standing self-governed groups, trained in key protocols and supported by well-trained coaches.
I strongly urge you to read the article. You may have to register with McKinsey, but it’s well worth the effort. I would love to hear what you think about it.
