Culture – mardihumphreys.com

Wave Goodbye

You’ve spent years building your career, learning new skills, and proving yourself at work. Despite your efforts, promotions pass you by, your work goes unnoticed, and you struggle to find a sponsor who will advocate for you. Should you stay and keep grinding, or is it time to move on?

You have a steady paycheck so it’s tempting to stay put and the fear of wasting your past efforts can keep you stuck. There is a name for this fear. It’s called the sunk cost fallacy. You hesitate to quit because you’ve invested so heavily in this career. But the reality is your past investment is gone. The only decision that matters is whether your future investment of more time and effort is likely to pay off.

How To Know

Promotions: You’re consistently refused advancement even when you exceed expectations. You receive good performance reviews, but leadership passes you over for less experienced colleagues.

Sponsorship: No one in leadership advocates for you. Your requests for a seat at the table are denied. No one brings you up for high-visibility projects in rooms you are not in. Without internal support your career growth is limited.

Value: You take on high-impact projects, but your contributions are undervalued, dismissed, or worse, credited to someone else.

Progression: Your path to development is blocked. When you ask about career growth with the organization you get vague answers or are told to “be patient.”

Autopilot: A single bad year doesn’t mean it’s time to quit, but If you’re no longer challenged or learning, then you’re just wasting time.

How to Reframe

Mindset: Shift from feeling like a failure to believing that your sunk cost is the tuition you paid for future success.

Evergreen: Your experience is not wasted. If you change jobs or even your career path, then your skills, knowledge, and relationships will still benefit you.

Recover: You don’t have to earn back your investment in the same place. If you’re underpaid or undervalued, staying won’t magically fix that. You can earn lost money back in a better role.

How to Avoid

Goals: Set clear career goals. Think about what your next level is and evaluate whether your job is helping you get there.

Track: Keep a record of your achievements and impact. This is your “Atta Baby!” folder. It is the file you keep on your desktop with all the documentation of the praise, recognition, and thank you emails you receive. Its purpose is to help you advocate for promotions and negotiate future opportunities.

Assess: Every six months, ask yourself: Am I growing? Am I being recognized? Am I satisfied? If not, adjust your course before your trajectory feels stunted.

Plan: If you realize your job is a dead end, don’t quit impulsively. Strategically plan your exit.

How to Prepare

Network: Connect with industry peers, attend events, and reach out to former colleagues. The best opportunities often come through relationships, especially weak ties, not job boards.

Upskill: While you’re still employed take online courses, get certifications, or volunteer at a nonprofit organization where you can work on projects that build the skills you need for your next role.

Money: Build a financial cushion so you don’t feel pressured to take the first offer that comes along.

What have you done to move past your sunk costs? Please share in the comments.

Start Me Up

Last week while talking about how to deal with some possible repercussions when you set boundaries around your time at work, I made this statement: “The workplace rewards immediate responses and multitasking. (BTW, multitasking is a myth. Do NOT get me started.)” A few subscribers took that as a challenge and, well, here we are. It’s been five years since we talked about multitasking. Let’s revisit this topic and see what’s changed.

What Hasn’t Changed

Multitasking feels like you’re getting more done, but research shows the opposite. When you switch rapidly between tasks, your brain struggles to maintain focus, which not only degrades the quality of your work over time, but also negatively impacts your mental health.

The brain’s working memory is like a mental clipboard, temporarily storing information as you work. When you constantly switch tasks, you don’t give your brain enough time to process and properly store that information. Research from the American Psychological Association indicates constant interruptions reduce working memory capacity, ultimately impairing learning and the ability to retain crucial information.

For example, let’s say you’re updating an inventory report while also handling a customer’s question over the phone. Your fragmented attention means not only do you struggle to answer the customer’s question to their satisfaction, but you may mess up the inventory report too.

It isn’t just about errors. Multitasking has a significant impact on your physical and mental well-being. When you try to multitask throughout the day you experience higher levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, which raises your blood pressure. The cumulative stress from constant task switching can lead to chronic anxiety, reduced job satisfaction, and physical health issues.

So, it’s important to understand the trade-offs. While multitasking seems to boost your productivity, studies show the brain’s constant task switching actually results in slowing your productivity because it impedes your attention and comprehension. When you concentrate on one task at a time, you get more done, reduce errors, and improve the overall quality of your work.

What Has

Multitasking often involves you responding to notifications from email, instant messaging, and phone calls while working on a project. Some tech companies acknowledged this challenge and introduced tools designed specifically to help you focus. Apple’s Focus Mode, Windows 11’s Focus Assist, Slack’s “Do Not Disturb” settings, and Microsoft Teams’ quiet time features make it easier to protect your deep work sessions. These tools aren’t magic bullets. They require discipline. But when used consistently, they help create an environment where distractions are minimized allowing for more sustained concentration and better quality work. Even a short period of uninterrupted focus leads to measurable improvement in your efficiency and job satisfaction.

Strategies to Reduce Negative Impact

Eliminate: In addition to using focus-assisting tools, turn off non-essential notifications or set your workspace to “do not disturb” mode during critical work periods.

Prioritize: Start each workday by identifying the single most important task that will drive your work forward and do it. Make it non-negotiable.

Establish: Set expectations with colleagues about response times. For example, designate specific hours for checking emails rather than reacting immediately.

Adopt: Moving away from multitasking isn’t just about getting more work done. It’s about producing higher quality output while maintaining your mental and physical health. Adopting a monotasking mindset makes you more productive and your work environment less stressful.

What works for you? Please share in the comments.

The Priority the Sequel

After last week’s discussion around framing time management as self-respect, I received some good questions: “What do I do about the guilt I feel for saying no?” “What do I do about pushback?” “What if I miss out on a golden opportunity?” Let’s explore some answers.

Guilt

You may feel guilty about declining tasks or invitations to join project teams because you worry saying no will make you appear unhelpful or it will damage your relationships with your managers. But saying yes to everything spreads your energy too thin and makes you less effective in the tasks that are important.

Try: Shift your mindset. Saying no to low-priority work isn’t about avoiding responsibility. It’s about ensuring you contribute your best work to what really matters. Intentionally prioritize tasks based on their impact on your organization’s mission and their alignment with your role.

For example: If a team lead asks you to sit in on a meeting that doesn’t directly involve your work, you might say, “I’d love to help where I can. Will you please send me a summary of the key takeaways instead? That way, I can focus on my current deadlines while staying informed.” This approach keeps you engaged without overloading your schedule.

Pushback

The workplace rewards immediate responses and multitasking. (BTW, multitasking is a myth. Do NOT get me started.) This makes it difficult to set boundaries. When you start managing your time more effectively, you will face resistance from coworkers and/or managers who expect you to be available at all times.

Try: Set clear, realistic expectations with your team. If you need uninterrupted time to focus on deep work, then proactively communicate. For example, when you’re working on a report let your team know you’ll be offline for two hours and will check messages afterward.

For example: If a manager frequently assigns last-minute tasks, try saying, “I can take this on, but it will push back my other deadlines. Which task would you like me to prioritize?” This puts the decision back in their hands while reinforcing that your time is limited.

FOMO

You overcommit because you worry turning something down may mean missing a career-changing opportunity. Some opportunities are time-sensitive, but saying yes to everything prevents you from focusing on what best aligns with your long-term goals.

Try: Get clear on your priorities. If an opportunity excites you but doesn’t align with your goals, it may not be the right one.

For example: If you’re invited to join an extra project that sounds interesting but doesn’t directly contribute to your career path, you could say, “This sounds like a great initiative! Right now, I need to focus on my core projects, but I’d love to be considered for similar opportunities in the future.” This keeps the door open while ensuring you don’t overextend yourself.

Experiments

Before accepting a meeting request, ask for an agenda. If there isn’t one, ask what’s expected of you. If they can’t define your role, the meeting may be an email.
Limit open-ended commitments. If someone asks for help, instead of saying, “Sure, I can do that,” try, “I have time for a quick 15-minute call, would that help?” This keeps your contribution focused.
At the end of each workday, take a moment to evaluate: What did I accomplish today? What tasks drained my time unnecessarily? What changes can I make tomorrow to work more efficiently? Reflection ensures you continuously refine your time management approach based on what’s working and what isn’t.

How do you deal with workplace boundary encroachments? Please share in the comments.

Even Keeled

Last week we talked about how to become aware of our emotions, what triggers them, and how they affect our decision making. Now that you know what they are and why they happen, let’s talk about moving from self-awareness to self-regulation.

You Are in Charge

When you start to feel out of control, what can you do to get ahead of your emotions and constructively respond?

Pause – For example, you are tasked with removing the bottleneck from one of your organization’s workflows. You email the project manager an idea. The reply you receive is harshly critical and dismissive. What do you do? You want to fire off a defensive response. Instead, take a breath, step away, and revisit the email later. The pause gives your rational mind a chance to kick in.

Reset – When stress builds, your decision-making suffers. Techniques like deep breathing or a quick meditation can help in the moment. On days you have to make important decisions, take a break to move your body in addition to those tools. Even a short walk around the block can make a difference. Give yourself a 15-minute “reset break” to clear your mind.

Adapt – Asynchronous work environments demand flexibility. For example, a teammate’s delayed reply may derail your plan. When it does, remind yourself that staying open to new solutions helps maintain momentum in the long run.

Get Social

Strong relationships pave the way for problem-solving as well as career advancement. Building those relationships takes deliberate effort.

Communicate – For example, you’re on a video call with your team putting together an agenda for a client update and they are all distracted. Instead of letting your annoyance show, try saying, “I’d love everyone’s input on this. What else do we want the client to know that I don’t have on this list?” Inviting engagement respectfully can shift the tone of the meeting.

Share – Teams thrive when credit is shared. If you’re leading a project, make it a habit to highlight contributions from teammates, even in small ways like Slack shout-outs.

Learn – Disagreements happen. It’s how you handle them that matters. Focus on solutions instead of assigning blame. For example, if someone misses a deadline, instead of saying, “You messed up,” try, “Let’s figure out how to avoid this in the future.”

Support – If you notice a team member struggling with a task, offer to be a resource. A small gesture, like volunteering to review their work, shows commitment to the team’s success.

Galvanize – Even when projects get messy, a positive outlook can help your team keep going. For example, if a new tool isn’t working as expected, reframing the setback as a learning opportunity can keep morale from plummeting.

Practice – Start with one small action each day. For example, pause before replying to an irritating email or ask a colleague how they’re feeling before diving into work. Over time, these habits become second nature.

Next Steps

Remember the emotion log you kept last week? Pull it out. Knowing what you know now, how do you wish you would have responded in those situations? Now you have an option to experiment with the next time those triggers go off. Here are a few ideas to maintain your progress.

Reflect – Spend five minutes at the end of each workday reviewing your emotional responses and interactions. If there is something you wish you’d done differently, make a note of it. If you responded instead of reacted to a trigger, pat yourself on the back.

Experiment – Try one self-regulation technique during a challenging moment. For example, box breathe, or silently count to three before speaking. Find what works best for maintaining your composure.

Ask – Request feedback from a trusted colleague on how you handle stress during collaboration. This is a private conversation maybe over coffee.

How do you self-regulate to function better at work? Please share in the comments.

Natural Intelligence

For 2025 our conversations will focus on Power Skills (the skills formerly known as “Soft”). Why? To future proof our jobs. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes the planet, we face a unique challenge: Staying relevant in a workplace where technology automates repetitive tasks. AI excels at technical, hard skills tasks like data analysis, coding, and project tracking. Eventually quantum computing will do hard skills jobs at enterprise-level scale. But AI can’t yet replicate humanity like our ability to adapt, connect, and relate. Power skills like flexibility, empathy, and communication, aren’t just nice to have anymore. They’re essential tools you need for surviving in the future of work.

Finding the Gaps

AI creates opportunities to offload repetitive tasks, freeing you up to focus on solving complex problems, working with others, and making decisions that require emotional intelligence. Power skills fill the gap where technology ends. What does that look like? Here are some examples:

Time management: AI can organize your schedule, but it can’t prioritize tasks based on your unique team dynamics.
Productivity: Automation tools can handle routine updates, but they can’t motivate a team to overcome roadblocks.
Decision-making: Algorithms can analyze data, but interpreting how it impacts people often requires human judgment.

Filling the Gaps

In what areas can you grow where AI struggles? Empathy, adaptability, and effective communication are hard to automate because they require context, emotional nuance, and creative problem-solving. Let’s say you’re a project manager leading a team during a major transition. AI can help forecast timelines and budgets, but it can’t address your team’s concerns about job security or coach them through adapting to new tools. That’s where your emotional intelligence and leadership come in, ensuring the transition is productive and supportive.

Foiling the Gaps

Upskill: Platforms like LinkedIn Learning offer courses on communication, leadership, and conflict resolution. Start with a course that aligns with your current challenges.
Practice: Actively listen to colleagues by summarizing their concerns before responding. This shows you’re not just hearing but also understanding them. For example, during a team meeting, you realize you dominate discussions. You adjust your approach to create space for quieter teammates to contribute, leading to better outcomes. This self-awareness and empathy are skills AI does not have.
Adapt: Volunteer for cross-functional projects or tasks outside your comfort zone. It’s a great way to build resilience and learn to pivot under pressure. For example, your company adopts a new AI-based tool. Instead of resisting, you learn its features and become the go-to resource for your team, showcasing your value.
Lead: Launch small initiatives for your team, like organizing brainstorming sessions or mentoring a colleague. For example, you take the lead on a high-visibility project. You rally the team with clear goals and encouragement making everyone feel invested in the outcome.
Evaluate: Use your 1:1 meetings with your manager to request honest feedback about your communication, adaptability, or leadership. Ask for specific examples and tips for improvement.

The workplace is evolving fast, but your ability to flex, empathize, and communicate will keep you in demand. The future of work is about using AI as a tool so you can do what it can’t. Be human.

What power skill did I forget? Please share in the comments.

Presents or Presence?

I checked my data to see what I spent on the holidays last year. I have lists going back to 2020. Do you do that too? No? Just me? Okay. Anyway, I checked my data because I’m looking for ways to save money and I’m struggling. I want to be generous and I need to pay the electric bill. You too? Then let’s talk about some ways we can keep the holiday spirit without going into debt.

In a survey of Americans November 6 – 20, 2024, Gallup found we plan to spend $1012 just on holiday gifts (including gifts for coworkers) this year. If that number makes your wallet sweat, you’re not alone. With inflation still pinching budgets and financial stability on everyone’s mind, it’s time to rethink holiday spending; especially at work. You don’t have to be a Scrooge, but you do have to be intentional. There are plenty of ways to show both kindness and appreciation without spending a lot of money.

Research

Think back to last year. Did you give gifts to every member of your team, your department, and your remote colleagues? If so, consider whether that was necessary or if there’s a more meaningful (and affordable) way to celebrate this year. For example, Let’s say you work on a team of six people. Last year, you gave each coworker a $20 gift card. This year, suggest an alternative like a low-cost team activity; maybe an in-person potluck lunch or a virtual happy hour where everyone can participate without financial strain.

Redirect

If the majority of your coworkers insist on a gift exchange and it’s not in your budget to participate, declining can feel awkward. But you can do it gracefully. For example, your department organizes a Secret Santa. If you need to opt out, be direct but polite. You can say, “Thanks for including me! I’m trying to stick to a strict budget this year, so I’ll sit this one out. Have fun!” If appropriate, you can suggest an activity like coordinating a cookie swap during the gift exchange. This shows you’re still invested in the celebration and offers others who feel the same way you do a way to opt out too.

Redesign

Celebrations don’t always have to involve gifts. Instead, focus on experiences or gestures that build connection. For example, let’s say you’re part of a large department where individual gift-giving isn’t feasible. You could organize a group coffee outing where everyone covers their own drink.

Refuse

Once you’ve set a budget, stick to it. Don’t feel the need to justify smaller gifts or creative alternatives. Rehearse polite ways to decline gift exchanges if necessary. The holidays should be about connection, not financial regret. Most people value the thought behind a gift more than its monetary value. For example, you can give a heartfelt card or handwritten note expressing specific appreciation for each person’s contributions. Thoughtful words of affirmation leave a positive lasting impression far beyond the holidays while costing little money.

How do you handle holiday gifting at work? Please share in the comments.

Leverage Your Impact

Anyone at any level of an organization can be influential. You don’t need a recognized leadership title to make a positive impact. How do you know whom you influence? How can you leverage it to benefit both you and your organization?

Collaborate

To identify whom you influence, understand your role relative to the entire organization. Influence happens through relationships.

Interactions

Peers: Do your decisions affect their processes? For example, if you’re a software developer, your code may directly impact a quality assurance teammate’s testing.

Managers: Does your input guide any of their decisions? For example, would having an intern help your team make the deadline on your current project? A well-reasoned suggestion in a meeting can influence high-level outcomes.

Cross-functional Teams: Do any teams outside your immediate work group rely on your deliverables? For example, do product teams use your reports to guide which features they prioritize?

Stakeholders: Does your work affect the user’s experience? For example, if you design workflows, who implements them?

Observations

Notice how people respond when you share ideas. Do they act on your suggestions? This signals influence.

Track Your Ripple Effect: Look for indirect outcomes. Did a new process you propose save time for other teams? Did a colleague adopt a tool you recommended?

Solicit Feedback: Ask peers and managers how your work impacts their tasks or decisions. Their responses can reveal areas where your influence might not be obvious.

Informal Mentoring: Pay attention to who seeks your opinion. Influence often shows up in casual ways like being the go-to person for advice in a specific area. For example, let’s say you’re a data analyst. Your influence may include other analysts who use your frameworks.

Empower

Leadership is about actions, attitudes, and the ability to both inspire and guide others.

Model: Lead by example. Qualities like ethics, expertise, and empathetic interpersonal interactions positively impact your team and your overall work environment. If you want to want to work with a team who has integrity, resilience, and enthusiasm, then you must demonstrate those values every day.

Recognize: Amplify the strengths of your peers. Say positive things about them in front of their managers. Value ideas from all levels of the company, not just from people at the top of the Org chart.

Catalyze: Leverage your networks to drive initiatives that are aligned with your organization’s goals. For example, be the hub that anchors multiple teams’ efforts and moves projects to completion.

Own

Part of owning your influence is aligning your team’s expectations.

Communicate: Clear and open communication is essential to influence. Transparency helps information flow freely within your team. Identify challenges and propose solutions to them even if they fall outside your immediate responsibilities. Actively listen to your coworkers, support their contributions, and encourage them to share their perspectives.

Mentor: Everyone needs mentors. Offer assistance to your peers, especially those less experienced. Look for people who are currently doing work you aspire to do and ask them about their career journey. Mentoring fosters a positive culture and strengthens relationships.

Reflect: What drives you? What skills do you have? What are your strengths? What sets you apart? Where do you see yourself in two years professionally? Armed with this self-awareness, you can make informed decisions about whose expectations you align with and whose you should respectfully disregard.

How does your influence show up at work? Please share in the comments.

Construct Conflict

No matter how smoothly a project starts, problems with clients are bound to happen. But conflict doesn’t have to derail your productivity or damage your relationships. The key is to have a plan in place to resolve issues quickly and constructively. When you ask the right questions you can understand the situation and use practical strategies to address it.

Why Is the Customer Upset?

Clients often react to how issues make them feel. For example, disrespected, ignored, or undervalued. Understanding the emotional undertone helps you address the real issue. So, get to the root of the problem. Is it a missed deadline, unclear deliverable, or lack of communication?

Example: Your project manager promised a deliverable by Friday, but the team discovers on Wednesday that it won’t be ready until Monday. The client is frustrated because they scheduled their own tasks based on the Friday deadline.

Strategy: Acknowledge the frustration without being defensive. Apologize for the inconvenience and provide a clear, revised timeline. For example: “I understand this delay negatively affects your schedule, and I’m sorry we didn’t flag this earlier. Here’s what we’re doing to ensure delivery by Monday.”

Has This Happened Before?

Is this a one-time issue or part of a recurring pattern? If it’s a pattern, it may signal a process or communication gap on your team’s end. Repetition of the same issue can point to systemic problems in your procedures, eroding client trust.

Example: A graphic design team repeatedly delivers drafts that don’t align with the client’s brand guidelines, despite having access to the brand kit.

Strategy: Review your internal workflows. Are team members using outdated documents? Is there a lack of clarity on what the client wants? To address recurring issues you may want to create a checklist or assign a quality controller.

Is Trust Broken?

Rebuilding trust may require more effort than simply fixing the immediate issue. Trust is fragile. If clients feel deceived, they will hesitate to continue working with you.

Example: A consultant promises weekly updates but misses two in a row without explanation. The client starts to question whether they’re a priority.

Strategy: Reach out proactively, own the mistake, and outline steps to prevent it from happening in the future. For example: “I haven’t provided the updates you were promised. Here’s a new schedule, and I’ve set calendar reminders to ensure this won’t happen again.”

Would More Communication Help?

Sometimes clients just want clarity; an explanation of what happened and what you are doing to fix it. Being transparent can defuse tension.

Example: A software development team changes the scope of a project mid-stream due to legal compliance requirements, but they fail to notify the client promptly.

Strategy: Keep communication frequent and transparent. In this case, a quick explanation could diffuse the conflict. For example, “We had to adjust the project to comply with new regulations. Let me explain how this impacts the timeline and what we’re doing to minimize delays.”

Will the Customer Participate in a Solution?

Resolution works best when both sides are involved. Determine if the client is open to collaboration or firmly in blame mode. If they’re unwilling to cooperate, then progress stalls.

Example: A financial agency submits strategy for approval, but the client rejects it without providing specific feedback, saying only, “This isn’t what I want.”

Strategy: Encourage constructive collaboration by asking open-ended questions. For example, “Can you share examples of what you’re envisioning? That will help us align with your expectations.” By framing it as a partnership, you’re more likely to get actionable feedback.

What conflicts did I forget? Please share in the comments.

Time to Give

This is the final installment of our series, Give a Little Bit. For the last three weeks we’ve talked about generously giving your energy, attention, and money to your coworkers. Let’s wrap up this topic by talking about generously giving your time. It is the most precious resource you have. Once it’s spent, you can’t get it back and you can’t make more. So, why should you give it away to your coworkers? Because it builds strong relationships which improves your team’s productivity, morale, and culture. Here are five things you can do.

Check In: Regular huddles go a long way to build a strong foundation for efficient teamwork, communication, and productivity. You can set up 15 minute weekly meetings with your team to give everyone a chance to share the most important or urgent project they’re working on, ask for assistance, and decide who is working together this week. These short meetings allow you to stay informed, connected, and aligned across projects without taking up too much time. They sustain a reliable rhythm for your team to build rapport and trust.

Shared Resource: A shared folder centralizes key information, templates, and tools. It’s especially valuable for asynchronous work when time is tight, and efficiency is crucial. Create a spreadsheet with tabs for current goals with deadlines, and a checklist of what needs to be done. Also file resources like logos, confirmation receipts, a Word document with links to pertinent articles, etc., in the shared folder. Update it regularly and encourage team members to contribute their own resources. After your weekly huddle, send out a brief recap of the week’s plan including a link to the folder. This ensures everyone has easy access to resources and keeps the whole team on the same page without lengthy meetings.

Help Out: If a colleague is struggling with a specific project, offer to work with them on a portion of it. Resist taking over the whole task. Your intention is to empower them. Could you do just the research or the data analysis or the rough draft of the report? This way, you can manage your own workload while providing immediate, practical help. You want to be known as a team player, but not a steamroller nor a doormat. If you and a teammate click, think about mutual mentorship. Can meeting informally once a quarter to share your experiences and networks be mutually beneficial? At the very least, it showcases your leadership development.

Set Goals: What gets measured, grows. Each week, aim to share one useful resource with someone on your team. Give genuine support without the expectation of getting something in return. Document these in a spreadsheet. They will be useful for your performance review. Not all accomplishments can be easily quantified. Capture anecdotal evidence describing the relationships you are strengthening, like testimonials from clients and LinkedIn recommendations from coworkers, to track the relationship-building skills you use.

Highlight Wins: When you’re in a group setting, whether it’s a team meeting or an email update, mention the accomplishments of others. It is a social norm that when you do someone a favor, like amplify their good work in front of others, they feel compelled to return that favor in kind. This should not be your only motivation to encourage your team. Instead, use it as a tool to build morale and design the environment you want to work in.

How do you generously give your time to your coworkers? Please share in the comments.

Money to Give

For the last two weeks we’ve talked about giving both your energy and your attention to your coworkers in our current series, Give a Little Bit. This week in Part 3, let’s examine how you give your money to your coworkers and neither one of you realizes it.

From Conforming to Transforming

A scarcity mindset breeds competition, anxiety, and ultimately, limits. But with an abundance mindset, you create value that leads to growth not only for you but also your entire team. When you begin to treat your job as an art, you look for opportunities to give your art away. For example: When you share knowledge it is upskilling that your coworkers don’t have to pay for. The result is continuous improvement that saves the company money. Hopefully you will benefit in the short term. But even if you don’t, you will in the long-term. People need things and place value on those who can meet those needs. Your teammates have networks. They will happily introduce you to those connections because your habitual generosity will make them look good. If you were trained to conform to the belief that taking as much as you can is how you succeed, then do the opposite because that doesn’t work any more. Transform your mindset and habits to give as much as you can without expecting anything in return.

What It Can Look Like

Mentorship: Support newer team members or coworkers who would like some guidance. This helps you practice leadership and signals you’re invested in the group’s success, not just your own.

Visibility: Speak up on behalf of colleagues who are doing good work, especially if they’re uncomfortable amplifying themselves. By elevating others when they are not in the room, your acts of generosity make you someone others want to be close to.

How It Can Backfire

Being generous is the way to go, but I’m not going to lie. It can be hard. Here are a few obstacles you may face and how to handle them:

Misinterpretation: In highly competitive settings, your generosity might initially be seen as a tactic rather than genuine support. Keep going. When you behave consistently and with transparency, your actions eventually demonstrate your authenticity.

Limited Recognition: By focusing on your team, you may get lost in the background. Document and occasionally showcase your contributions to remind your manager of your worth and positive impact.

Taking Advantage: This is probably the first thing you thought of, right? If your environment is built on taking, then you are setting yourself up as a target for your teammates to take advantage of your generosity. The bad news is there will probably be some coworkers who insist on operating in a scarcity mindset. They will interpret your generosity as a weakness. These are the teammates you’ll have to set and hold your boundaries with. The good news is they cannot diminish how modeling generosity accelerates your own achievements.

At the end of the workday, it doesn’t matter how your teammates react to your generosity. When you maintain a mindset of abundance backed by practical acts of generosity the money follows. Generosity is a leadership skill you can put on your resume, on your LinkedIn profile, and talk about in your next job interview.

What knowledge do you generously share with your teammates? Please share it with us in the comments.