| I’ll admit it: I was fooled at first by Adam Grant’s thought exercise on who ends up with the better deal over time. Clearly, people who are bold leaders who stride to the negotiating table brimming with confidence and get the absolute best deal come out on top. And, yes, that does happen. Those who concede points and fail to get every last dollar or last part of any deal, who give away things of value, they must end up on the bottom, the perpetual doormats of human relationships. And yes, that does happen. But to my surprise, the ones that really do well in the long run are also likely to be the ones to give much away. And this is not just some kind of charity that happens after someone gets enormously wealthy. This is a consistent model of giving credit, of conceding major points in business relationships, and not trying to squeeze the last nickel out of every deal. |  |
And this is not just some kind of charity that happens after someone gets enormously wealthy. This is a consistent model of giving credit, of conceding major points in business relationships, and not trying to squeeze the last nickel out of every deal.
Does this make sense? After you read Give and Take, it will. Adam Grant has plenty of stories to illustrate his major points; my personal favorite was the story of George Meyer, the key collaborative genius behind much of the Simpsons as well as a key writer for Saturday Night Live and the Letterman Show. The chapter that describes how his creative idea generation made whole teams highly successful should be required reading in any corporation.
But Grant’s book is not just a series of anecdotes. He fills his pages with many authoritative research studies on collaboration, creativity, and success. Unlike many business books, his points are backed up by real research. Although I have read a considerable amount in the areas of psychology and behavioral economics, I found many of Grant’s information sources refreshingly new. Although a reader may not find a direct and immediate line that leads to quarterly profit, an astute person will find a more valuable set of insights that leads to longer term success and personal satisfaction.
A few famous people come out a little worse for wear: you’ll find that Michael Jordan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Jonas Salk may have suffered professionally by their reputations as takers. This book is not a miracle cure that says being a giver will bring you fame and riches; it is much more subtle than that. There is much good advice about how to avoid being a doormat as a giver, and how negotiating as an advocate for someone else might help you override the negative aspects of some givers’ personalities. I highly recommend Give and Take as a thoughtful and memorable set of insights into human behavior and success.
For a more lengthy discussion of Adam Grant’s work, you will want to also read the New York Times Magazine article, “Is Giving the Secret to Getting Ahead”, by Susan Dominus.
Does this make sense? After you read Give and Take, it will. Adam Grant has plenty of stories to illustrate his major points; my personal favorite was the story of George Meyer, the key collaborative genius behind much of the Simpsons as well as a key writer for Saturday Night Live and the Letterman Show. The chapter that describes how his creative idea generation made whole teams highly successful should be required reading in any corporation.
But Grant’s book is not just a series of anecdotes. He fills his pages with many authoritative research studies on collaboration, creativity, and success. Unlike many business books, his points are backed up by real research. Although I have read a considerable amount in the areas of psychology and behavioral economics, I found many of Grant’s information sources refreshingly new. Although a reader may not find a direct and immediate line that leads to quarterly profit, an astute person will find a more valuable set of insights that leads to longer term success and personal satisfaction.
A few famous people come out a little worse for wear: you’ll find that Michael Jordan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Jonas Salk may have suffered professionally by their reputations as takers. This book is not a miracle cure that says being a giver will bring you fame and riches; it is much more subtle than that. There is much good advice about how to avoid being a doormat as a giver, and how negotiating as an advocate for someone else might help you override the negative aspects of some givers’ personalities. I highly recommend Give and Take as a thoughtful and memorable set of insights into human behavior and success.
For a more lengthy discussion of Adam Grant’s work, you will want to also read the New York Times Magazine article, “Is Giving the Secret to Getting Ahead”, by Susan Dominus.
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