“The Go-Giver” was presented to all the current employees by the CEO of my previous organization. I knew he is an avid reader and I was confident that there will be important takeaways in the book he recommends. The bolstering for the confidence was the success I found when I read “Who Moved My Cheese” just because he mentioned that book during one of his presentations. Usually, many book stores segregate books into Business Management and Personal Development. But I strongly feel the challenges mentioned in these books greet us in both personal and professional lives. The resolutions can be made by applying the same principles to both parts of life.
The Go-Giver story revolves around a struggling employee and the helping hand he receives in the form of certain principles that guide him towards achieving his goals. Marketers work with many clients, but they go above and beyond only for some clients. The reasons might vary, but the efforts put and the hard work exhibited will be a level above their normal. One such client is ParentEdge, a magazine to help parents about their child’s intellectual development, education and enrichment. There has been a constant growth in the worrying index of parents about their children from generation to generation. I felt ParentEdge is a boon to such parents. My involvement in ParentEdge was immense, I was involved in all aspects related to the website marketing. I never cared about the time I dedicated to that or the salary I am receiving at that time. I have received returns in two ways, one is the success of the website and the other one is the value I earned with my efforts. Though I had only two years of experience, my opinion in every aspect related to digital marketing of ParentEdge was valued. Another struggling client, Walltat is also an example to prove that the first law works. We have provided the utmost service to help him reach his goal, irrespective of what he was paying us. After a while, the client didn’t even hesitate to disclose the high-level business details. All these have proved that “your true value depends on how much more you give than the payment you receive”.
McDonald’s has always been finding a place in the list of most successful companies. This US-based company has left its mark in many countries of the world. McD, as people call it, has touched all corners of the USA and went on to become successful in other parts of the world. By customizing the dishes and retaining the best quality service, it has become favourite for many in no time. Their income has touched unimaginable figures as they were able to serve more and more people. Millions and millions of customers blessed McD with an opportunity to serve them. I might have to say, McD has earned the opportunity by providing impeccable quality of service. McD has proved the principle “Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them” right.
We all know the strategies politicians in many countries follow to retain their power. Influencing the perception of people by portraying themselves as the best has been the trend for long. The success that comes out of such dishonest strategies will always be ephemeral. But for one leader, Lee Kuan Yew, that success was not short term, it has lasted for 31 years. How did he influence people again and again? The answer is simple but very powerful. Never planning his moves based on the next election result is what he has done. During his tenure, he was always in the exploration of ways to enhance the quality of citizens’ life. He influenced the voters just by caring for their interests rather than his chair. He has transformed Singapore into a high economy nation by demonstrating the principle “Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first”. I personally feel that the influence part is useful even in personal life. When required, you genuinely must care and put others’ interests first to create everlasting relations.
In India, it is pretty common to see anyone who visits the hospital purchasing the prescribed medicines in the store beside the hospital. An exception to this made me wonder why people come to this store even if it is far away from hospitals. I never saw this store in my hometown, without people waiting to get their medicines. Even my friend who stays 3 kilometers away from this store and had to cross at least 5 stores on the way prefers only that. When I went to that store I discovered that the owner of the store knows many people by their names. He was talking to most of them and inquiring about their wellbeing. They never tried to sell the medicines but genuinely spoke to the customers as such they are friends. Even in the busiest times I never saw the storekeepers and the owner without a smile on their faces. There are people who have been going to that store since their inception, which could be at least 30-40 years ago. Not just this store, you can see the people living in towns and villages go to the same place for any product or service just because of the relation that was established. These sellers have realized the fourth law long ago, “The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself”.
Whether in personal life or professional life, there is no end to the challenges people or companies face. The probability of reaching for a helping hand in such a situation is very high. On what basis can we provide the best possible solution? If it is a client looking for a solution, it is very crucial for us to provide the right solution. In such a critical time, the support that we get to resolve such issues is the knowledge and experience that has been accrued over the years. You never know what kind of challenges you face and which area of knowledge has to be utilized to resolve that. All we can do is when provided with an opportunity to learn, be ready to accept it with alacrity. Because “The key to effective giving is to stay open to receptivity”.
Got the principles right, it is time to implement!!!
