Don’t Keep Score

I really love the key point in chapter 2 of Never Eat Alone of not keeping score. The essential point is this: when you do something for someone else don’t keep track with an expectation of a favor in return. Being generous with your time, talents and abilities will set you in good stead with others. Giving without the expectation of receiving takes maturity. I’ve been humbled more than once by some fantastic examples of leaders who embrace this attitude in my career. They include the Dean of Harvard Business School, the Chief Marketing Officer of PEMCO Insurance, the CEO of Zion’s Bank Corporation and many others.

Being gracious is a key component to success.

We’ve become accustomed to instant coffee, fast food, 24×7 service, movies on demand and so many other conveniences that we forget that some things, like building meaningful relationships, take time. A full pregnancy lasts 9 months to produce a baby and there’s no method to speed up that process. Nine women, working as a team, can’t produce a baby in 1 month. Another example would be a garden where seeds which are sown take time to mature and bear food.

In adopting this advice for myself I try to be as gracious as possible. For example, when hosting events such as the Eastside Networking Event I purposely meet and ask attendees what they are looking to do or who they are looking to meet. I’ll then facilitate those introductions whenever I can make a match. When a connection is made it feels like magic to me and I’ve had some great experiences helping people make a step in their careers.

What are some of your ideas or strategies that you use for not keeping score?

Note – Mike is an affiliate with Keith Ferrazzi’s company, FerrazziGreenlight. He’s endorsed Ferrazzi’s writings long before the affiliation became official and his continued enthusiasm is sincere. Please click here for a free download of the Relationship Masters Academy from FerrazziGreenlight.