Givers Gain®
If you bring people into your network who embrace your core value, you will create an amazing network. Incorporating the philosophy of Givers Gain ® into my organization was one of the things that have really set BNI aside from the other networking groups. We have inculcated this core value into the fabric of BNI. Therefore, “Givers Gain ®” became part of the very DNA of the organization. That is incredibly special.
Years ago, I was sharing those words with a well-known business consultant and friend. He was going to be speaking at a big BNI conference the next day. He listened to me and said, “Oh Ivan, you know that’s not true, am I right? You know that the Founder of every organization thinks that some key philosophy is embraced by most everyone in a company. It is really not so” I told him, “No, it really is inculcated into the DNA of the company. Most everyone knows it in BNI. Don’t believe me – confirm it yourself. Ask your audience about it tomorrow.”
So, the next day, during his presentation, he stopped and said “Oh, I have a question for you, what’s the philosophy of this company?” He then heard a resounding, “GIVERS GAIN!”
He was astonished and said to me, “Ivan, do you know how incredible it is that almost everyone in an organization at all levels of that organization understand the company’s guiding core value? Do you?
I understand how amazing that is. Therefore, I do not take it for granted. It is one of the things that make BNI special. “Givers Gain®” is BNI’s principle core value. It is based on the age-old concept of “what goes around comes around.” Furthermore, if I help you, you’ll help me – and we’ll all do better as a result of it.
In conclusion, he owed me dinner that night based on a little wager we had.
Undoubtedly true!
Dear Dr. Ivan:
3 years ago I was talking to my Regional Director about the way that concept was translated to Spanish, changing the order of both words, which gave it a very different sense. In Mexico we say “Ganar Dando”, placing the gaining concept first.
Recently I read your book “Networking Like A Pro” and in the very first page of Chapter 2 you mention “The first word in Givers Gain is ‘givers’. This is important. It signifies that the act of giving is the first and more important part of the principle”. Well, I felt happily surprised and told my Director: “You see? Giving comes before gaining!”
What a great concept, Dr. Misner! I hope there would be some way to express it in Spanish with the exact same meaning it has in English!
I’d suggest: “Dar es ganar”.
Best regards,
Andres Neira, BNI INSIGNIA, San Luis Potosi, MX
Thanks Andres. You should point out your observations to Lorena Medina, your National Director for BNI.
Ivan
Actually, it comes from a quote long before “what goes around comes around: “Give and it shall be given to you; good measure pressed down, shaken together, men will pour into your lap” (Jesus of Nazareth 32AD)
correction: “….good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, men will pour into your lap.”