Thursday 23 November 2017

Fast Company/Art Markman: Give More Than Just Thanks: The Psychological Upsides To Giving Back

 Fast Company

    11.22.17 the science of work

Give More Than Just Thanks: The Psychological Upsides To Giving Back

Gratitude is a powerful emotion we should all tap into more often, but the benefits of altruistic teamwork might have it beat.

Give More Than Just Thanks: The Psychological Upsides To Giving Back
[Photo: filadendron/Getty]

By Art Markman 4 minute Read

A couple friends of mine are on the verge of opening a bar in Austin. In the run-up, they wanted to make their new team of employees feel connected to each other and to the community they’ll be serving, so they all got together one recent Sunday morning to help clean up a local no-kill animal shelter. Sure, the bar could’ve launched with a happy hour special, then donated some of the proceeds to the shelter. That would’ve made an impact, too–just not quite the same kind.
advertisement

This time of year especially, we tend to hear a lot about how important gratitude is. Among other things, it’s a powerful motivator, not just of individuals but of teams. Some people make a habit of counting their blessings–including in the most literal sense, by keeping “gratitude journals,” for example, to reflect on what’s going right, to maintain a positive outlook, and to plan for the future. The period between Thanksgiving and the end of the year is also the season when organizations launch charitable drives and collect toys or canned goods to support those in need. These activities can all make people feel connected to their communities to encourage everyone to reflect on what they’re grateful for.

But none of these efforts are quite as powerful, in terms of the positive psychological outcomes they foster, as actually doing something together for the larger community. Giving thanks and giving money are great, but giving back–as a group–is even better.
The Wear And Tear Of Not-So-Social Workdays

As it’s often said, human beings are indeed a social species. Much of your brain is devoted to maintaining your social ties. No matter how introverted or occasionally antisocial you might be, you’re still innately motivated to cooperate with others, particularly with those you consider to be part of your team. When you work effectively with other people, it feels good, and those positive emotions are proof that your motivational system is achieving its goals–which in turn makes it easier to cooperate with those same team members again in the future.

Related: The Surprising Benefits Of Gratitude

Obviously, that virtuous circle can sometimes get buried or broken in a high-stress workplace. It’s not easy to feel this social connection with all of your colleagues all the time. So much of the daily grind involves dealing with problems that come up in the moment, which can make you feel like you’re at odds with or disconnected from your team.

Many people spend their days sitting at their desks alone as it is–communicating through email, Slack, or text rather than in person, and leaving little opportunity to feel as though they’re pulling together as a group. Even in a busy environment like a bar, colleagues might not get to interact much amid the chaos of a full house.
advertisement

Taking time to give back through collaborative volunteer work breaks the normal cycle of work. It gives team members a chance to reestablish their connections with each other without having to achieve a particular goal in their own workplace. And it can reinforce collegial relationships even after everyone returns to work, because they’ve contributed to a goal that’s actually meaningful. That’s far better than just going to some strange corporate retreat where you solve a pointless but difficult problem and leave without making any lasting impact.

Related: Why Volunteering Is The Single Most Overlooked Skill On Resumes
Why Purpose And Impact Matter

It’s been suggested in recent years that millennials are more motivated by “purpose” in the work they do than their older colleagues are. But there’s reason to doubt that one generation responds more to meaningful work than any other. Every group of employees will feel more connected to their workplace and to each other when they have a chance to do something purposeful together–whether as a result of their ordinary work tasks or as part of a separate volunteer effort.

Psychologists know that people are happiest at work when they see their work as a vocation that calls out to them, rather than just a job that they do. This sense is enhanced by working for an organization that you believe shares your values. By working together in the community, the entire organization is demonstrating that it wants to live its values in a way that feeds back to everybody, including those outside its own walls.

Finally, when everyone–from the leaders to the front-line employees–get out in the community and make an altruistic contribution, everyone is more likely to treat each other humanely inside the workplace. It can be easy for organizations to break into factions and unknowingly assume “us versus them” mentalities. Sometimes upper management and employees may feel like they’re barely from the same planet, or two departments can come to resent one another while squabbling over budget resources.

Joining together in a common cause is one of the fastest ways to break up those cliques and neutralize the ill will that they feed on. Make group volunteer work an ongoing part of your company culture, and these shared experiences become part of the lore of what it means to work at the organization. That can prove a much more powerful and long-lasting motivator than what you’d get from any self-reflection you can do–or donations you can make–on your own.
About the author

Art Markman, PhD is a professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin and Founding Director of the Program in the Human Dimensions of Organizations. Art is the author of Smart Thinking and Habits of Leadership, Smart Change, and most recently, Brain Briefs, co-authored with his "Two Guys on Your Head" co-host Bob Duke, which focuses on how you can use the science of motivation to change your behavior at work and at home.

More
You Might Also Like:

    The Ridiculously Simple, Scientific Way To Test For Narcissism
    Greed Is Good, Trust Is Bad, And Other (Not So) Obvious Truths
    What Lobbyists Can Teach You About Getting What You Want

Leadership Daily Newsletter
Receive special Fast Company offers.
See All Newsletters
POWERED BY REVCONTENT
FROM AROUND THE WEB
17 Weirdest Couples You Won't Believe Actually Exist
Memebrity.com
He Lost It After This Doctor's Networth Broke the Internet
Bradofo.com
20 Gorgeous Red Carpet Photos That Will Make You Cry
Porumba
25 Hidden Anime Movies - That Everyone is Talking About (Must Read)
Porumba
Video
Trixie And Katya On Job Interviews, Taxes, And Dentistry
Ideas
Ideas
Food Banks’ Massive Plan To Move From Canned Goods To Fresh Produce
Ideas
This Giving Platform Lets Kids Donate To Other Kids
Ideas
Even If They’re Not Being Automated Yet, Every Job Is Being Digitized
Entertainment
Entertainment
How Mother Teresa & Smart Career Advice Inspired “Novitiate” Director Maggie Betts
Entertainment
John Waters Doesn’t Need To Make Movies To Make Trouble
Entertainment
What I Learned Watching 11 Very Special Thanksgiving Episodes In A Row
Co.Design
Products
Amazing Photos Reveal The Invisible Microbial Universe All Around Us
Graphics
This Google Data Viz Is So Meta, You Can’t Look Away
Innovation By Design
How Ferrari Built A Cult Following Through Design
Fast Company
News
FTC: We are evaluating “serious issues” in Uber data breach
News
Peter Thiel might not be done with Gawker after all
Fast Company Magazine
Gift Guide: What To Buy For The Design Lover In Your Life

    AdvertisePrivacy PolicyTermsContactAbout UsSite MapFast Company & Inc © 2017 Mansueto Ventures, LLCDigital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Self-Regulatory Program

No comments: