A study in the Employee Engagement Series led by Kronos Incorporated found that nearly half of HR leaders say employee burnout is responsible for up to 50% of their annual workforce turnover.
So, where does this burnout originate from? It can be internal as some people are natural workplace givers; they do favors for others and run out of energy to complete their work. It can also be external as those who have a proven track record of competency and success end up getting even more work piled on to them by their superiors. We don’t all have the extra time luxury to follow Napoleon’s oft-repeated advice, “when you want something done right, do it yourself.” Therefore, a common action for managers to take in lieu of doing it themselves is to delegate work to the people they trust the most, even if their plate is at capacity.
In the book Give and Take, Adam Grant argues that while Givers often sacrifice themselves, they make their organizations better. The more that people are sharing their knowledge and mentoring, the better their organization performs on every metric - higher profits, customer satisfaction, and employee retention.
Knowing the value Givers can deliver, here are some things an organization can do to protect their best:
1. Work with the Giver to set personal boundaries by specifying the times their help is available. Adam Rifkin, a successful serial tech entrepreneur, spends a tremendous amount of time helping other people with his Five-Minute Favor, a small way to add big value to people’s lives. It can be as simple as making an introduction between two people who could benefit from knowing each other, sharing his knowledge, giving feedback, or recognizing somebody’s work that has gone unnoticed. Helping does not have to always be an all-encompassing affair.
2. Build a culture where Givers succeed. A position can be carved out, such as Chief Helping Officer or Giver in Charge whose sole job is to lend assistance. This creates a culture where help-seeking is the norm, which can benefit the many who prefer to avoid asking for help since they are worried they will be perceived as incompetent or as a burden to others.
3. As a manager, reward your givers with the gift of less so they can have the time to be ambitious in pursuing their own goals, while also assisting others.
Success is about helping others, so let’s help others help.
Quote of the day: "Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you." -Misty Copeland
Q: What other things can managers do to energize the Givers in your organization? Comment and share below, we would love to hear from you!
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