Summary

The key to excelling at a 9 to 5 job is to selflessly help others achieve their goals without expecting anything in return, as inspired by the author's mentor.

Abstract

The article reveals a simple yet profound secret to success in the workplace: generously helping others without any ulterior motive. Drawing from personal experience and the wisdom of a mentor, the author emphasizes the importance of selfless assistance, a concept encapsulated in a Greek phrase that translates to "do an act of kindness and then throw it in the sea." This philosophy of helping others is contrasted with Robert Greene's advice in "The 48 Laws of Power," which suggests keeping knowledge to oneself to maintain power. The author respectfully disagrees, arguing that sharing knowledge confidently and without ego fosters personal growth and the accumulation of new information. The article also acknowledges the necessity of setting personal boundaries to prevent overwork and being taken advantage of, while still embracing the spirit of generosity. Ultimately, the author advocates for a work culture where helping others is the norm, leading to trust-based relationships, a positive attitude, and continuous learning.

Opinions

The author believes that selfless acts of helping others at work are more beneficial than hoarding knowledge for personal power.
Sharing knowledge is seen as a sign of confidence and openness to learning, whereas hiding knowledge is associated with insecurity and ego.
The concept of "do an act of kindness and then throw it in the sea" suggests that acts of kindness should be done without expectation of reciprocation.
The author disagrees with Robert Greene's notion that one should keep knowledge to themselves, arguing that this approach is limiting and reflects insecurity.
Personal boundaries are crucial to prevent burnout and ensure that one's generosity is not exploited.
Helping others at work is advocated as a means to build trust, foster a positive environment, and encourage the exchange of information and ideas.

The one simple secret to excel at your 9 to 5 job

First of all, I got to admit that this secret isn’t my own, and surprisingly enough I am not embarrassed to say that I stole it.

As Pablo Picasso once said:

“Good Artists copy Great Artists Steal.”

Not that I am an artist, but you know…it’s a cool thing to tell myself.

Given the fact that I don’t have a lot of experience in the workplace, I stole it from my mentor at work.

My mentor always seeks to help others without requesting anything in return. In Greek, we have a phrase for it:

“Κάνε το καλό και ρίξτο στο γυαλό.”

it means “do an act of kindness and then throw it in the sea.”

By “throw it in the sea,” we mean that you don’t expect to get help just because you helped others. There is no agenda behind any act of kindness; there is no ego involved.

Without further ado, the one secret (as you might have guessed) is “generously helping others to achieve what they want.”

My favorite Writer disagrees with me

Robert Green, in his book “The 48 Laws of Power,” describes how it would be better to keep what you know to yourself. Never reveal everything you know because then the world will have no use for you.

I respectfully disagree.

Sharing your knowledge gives you an air of confidence, in contrast with “hiding” that shows insecurity (at least to my point of view). Hiding usually comes with great pride and a substantial amount of ego that diminishes your potential in accumulating new information. Goes hand in hand with the mindset, “I know all I have to know” and stops you from becoming even better.

Constructing your boundaries

Of course, life isn’t that simple. There have to be boundaries; otherwise, you might work all day to help others and then stay until noon to finish yours. There aren’t specific guidelines nor rules (at least to my knowledge) for constructing boundaries. Each person bears the responsibility to build his or her “fences” and protect them. But the fact that there are people in this world that teach every day with their actions the art of helping others, it’s inspiring as well as contagious to those who can appreciate it.

Closing

Helping others will nourish you by:

1)Building healthy relationships that are based on trust. 2)Accumulating new information yourself by being open to your colleagues’ knowledge. 3)Having a positive attitude and not being defensive about work.

We can all learn the secret of helping others in our work — not clinging in the fear that they will take advantage of our knowledge and building healthy boundaries to avoid being taken advantage of.

This article is dedicated to my Mentor George, who every day teaches me the importance of helping our coworkers.