An important rule every teammate should live by…
Gary Chapman wrote a relationship game changing bestselling book titled “The 5 Love Languages.” Maybe you’ve read it.
In it, Chapman describes how each of us have one of five different love languages that speak to us personally. And when your love language is practiced by your spouse for example, it strengthens your relationship.
The five languages he talks about include gifts, quality time, verbal affirmations or words of love, non-sexual touch and acts of service.
My love language is verbal affirmations. I love to be told how handsome I am (laugh), or how great I am doing on a job or project.
My wife’s love language is receiving gifts. The more I shower her with gifts, the better things are! But if I shower her with verbal affirmations because that’s what I like—well… it’s not that things aren’t good, they just aren’t as great as they are when I shower her with gifts.
I get an immediate positive result by giving her gifts.
The 5 love languages is a great example of what is referred to as the Platinum Rule. I talk about this in more detail in my book You Are the Team—6 Simple Ways Teammates Can Go from Good to Great.
Most people are familiar with the Golden Rule, which is to do unto others as you want to be done to. The Platinum Rule is a new rule—it’s doing unto others as they want to be done to. It’s a putting others first type of rule.
Living the Platinum Rule on teams is extremely healthy. It starts by understanding what teammates need.
One simple example is communication styles. You might prefer sending a text message, but you might have a teammate who prefers you pick up the phone. What do you do? You pick up the phone of course 🙂
Living The Platinum Rule on teams is only possible when teammates are thinking about and putting others first. It is only possible when teammates are service focused instead of self focused.
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