Whose generosity would repay me for the entire day

Anyone can be fast and strong.

The real question is, how do you give other people speed and power? How are you adding energy to the system in a way that builds momentum?

This is one of the most understated forms of generosity on the planet. In a team environment, when you can find a way to earn a reputation as the person whose work enables and elevates everyone else’s, someone whose actions make other people’s jobs easier, then there’s no telling how valuable your gifts can become.

The office manager my old office was a master of this skill. Her ability to adapt, adjust and mobilize the team into action was astounding. She even joked during her initial job interview:

Your company is full of highly paid people who are trying not to do administrative tasks anymore. My job is going to be creating more freedom for them, so they can focus on doing what they do best.

Fast forward to her second week on the job. The account team desperately needed to submit a case study for a client pitch, but they had no template and no time to create a new one. Everyone was freaking out in the eleventh hour.

Barbara, however, was not. She simply whipped open her laptop, found a case study design template from her previous job and handed it over. Here you go guys, she smiled.

This saved the team hours of work and tons of stress. Her generosity created leverage where none seemed to exist, making everybody faster and stronger as a result.

How does the work you do accomplish the same goal? What resources do you have ready to go to help capitalize on every opportunity?

This is what generosity looks like. It doesn’t require abundance of strength, rather, flexibility of action.

Working in guest services at a luxury hotel helped me hone this skill. One of our gold standards was called anticipatory service, the practice of figuring out your guest’s unexpressed needs, so you can surprise and delight them.

It may feel like mind reading to them, but it’s really just being prepared, being willing to say yes and being ready to pivot on a dime. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
If you’re so smart, how come you don’t make other people smart?