Today’s Buzz is brought to you by Nina Vetter, Pueblo West Metro District Manager. You can find her on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Tis the season of giving! Yes, I know it’s not anywhere close to Thanksgiving, but during tough times, the pandemic that will never end, and general turmoil, there is nothing quite like giving to get us through.
While we all focus on self-care and taking a dang break every once in awhile to help our mental wellbeing and happiness, let us not forget that giving to others is often just as rewarding as self-care. Buying your coworker a cup of coffee every once in awhile, giving someone an unexpected day off are lovely things to do and simple ways to give, but sometimes giving to others is giving support, encouragement and opportunity.
In my new book titled “Give” I talk about how the simple concept of approaching every small moment in the day with an attitude and mindset of giving can change how you lead and how you serve your partners in work and life.
Most of the book focuses on how we can give to others, and in particular how can we give others a chance to shine, and how we can give others a chance to be themselves in our every day conversations and actions.
Think about the last time you encouraged someone on your team or a coworkers to try something new? Or maybe the last time you backed them up in a meeting when they had a crazy-sounding idea, but you wanted them to feel empowered to do their thing? Or maybe encouraging them to take ownership of a project and claim the spotlight?
We’re often so busy running around, trying to do all the things ourselves, that we miss these little moments of opportunity we have everyday to give to each other. So in this continuing tough season, recognize the opportunities you have to give everyday with fairly little effort that might create a better day for your coworker, teammate and yourself.
Here are three easy ways to give to others on your work team.
- Thank them, praise them for great ideas, great work or willingness to try something new.
- Offer your support & encouragement when a teammate is about to launch into something new or tough.
- Give your teammates more opportunities to share their ideas on your projects or work.
You probably have these opportunities every day at work, you just have to recognize when the moments come. Let us all give to each other a bit more as we work through our challenging environment.
If you want to learn more about how giving in small ways everyday can transform your leadership and relationships at work and beyond, check out my book “Give” on Amazon or find me on on Twitter or LinkedIn.