Ecclesiastes 11
- 1
- Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
- 2
- Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
- 3
- If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie.
- 4
- Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
Help people feel valued. People need appreciation. And high performance organizations find ways to do so.
Dean Smith made it a point in the media to credit reserves contributing to victory. On the court, "thanking the passer" shows appreciation. Even in death, Smith continued to share with his UNC players.
The sine qua non of "credit" books is Adam Grant's New York Times bestseller Give and Take. Grant divided people into three categories - givers, takers, and matchers. He found that givers often wind up at the top of organizations but sometimes at the bottom. "Givers...perform all sorts of selfless acts with no expectation of reciprocity. They tirelessly pitch in for their colleagues, eagerly mentor their underlings, and regularly prioritize other people’s needs above their own."
Charity can reap huge profits. Merck developed a drug (ivermectin) to treat animal worms that also treats onchocerciasis (River blindness), causing millions of cases of blindness in Africa. Merck's CEO Roy Vagelos decided to give away millions of doses, angering stockholders. But it raised respect for Merck, attracted young research talent, and ultimately helped stock prices. When Japan opened markets to US manufacturers, Merck was the first US company to gain access.
When we help players interface with media, encourage them to share and deflect credit to teammates, family, and organization. First, success is not solely yours and second, sharing expresses gratitude.
Sharing credit requires humility.
Sharing credit shows empathy.
Sharing credit raises the self-esteem of those credited.
And sharing credit earns more respect for you.
Jonas Salk was a major discoverer of the polio vaccine. But he didn't credit coworkers essential to the discovery. His selfishness led to disfavor in the scientific community, no Nobel Prize and no membership in the prestigious National Academy of Sciences.
Likewise, architect Frank Lloyd Wright didn't always credit young architects on his projects. That cost him dearly as coworkers left and his business suffered.
Derek Sivers' book review of Give and Take shares,
"Americans see independence as a symbol of strength, viewing interdependence as a sign of weakness.
How givers collaborate: they take on the tasks that are in the group’s best interest, not necessarily their own personal interests."
Share credit. It's great for others and selfless good for us.
Lagniappe (something extra). "Thanks is the cheapest form of compensation." - Raymond Townsend, "Up the Organization"
Lagniappe 2. "If Kelly Ripa's day is already over and yours hasn't started, you're in trouble." - Debra Vance, Hacks "The early bird gets the worm."
Lagniappe 3. Radius Athletics. Nets actions.