Give and Take (2013) | Book Summary

Give and take is a fundamental ethical principle of human interaction. The concept of giving and handling can be traced back to "giving is more blessed than receiving" (Acts 20:35) in Bible. In the book Give and Take (2013) by Adam Grant, many examples show the importance of balancing these two actions for long-term success. 

Giving without taking causes burnout, and taking without giving drives people away. Instead of blindly giving and taking, The author, Adam Grant suggests asking why, when, and for whom before giving and taking decisions.

​The give and take principle is essentially built on top of the norm of reciprocity. After people receive a favor, they will have the urge to return the favor. We can call these social credits. We would build social credits by generously giving more and using the credits later for our requests.

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​“The more I help out, the more successful I become. But I measure success in what it has done for the people around me. That is the real accolade.” - Adam Grant, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

Editor's Notes: In PMO engagement, one of the best practices is giving first, allowing you to make your social deposit for future asks.​ The give can be a favor in any area or clearly show the benefits coming with the change. ​Along with the giving, we need to make the recipients aware of the efforts and values of the help so they will appreciate the assistance, thus increasing the power of influence. ​