People with a high Altruism score can bring a real X-factor to team dynamics, and one that can help companies foster an atmosphere of psychological safety. This in turn helps managers build teams composed of complementary individuals, and not just uniform ‘robots’. But what does it mean to be motivated by Altruism, and how can managers nurture this attribute within their team?
Gaming has been a big part of my life for as long as I can recall. In fact, I can still remember playing Final Fantasy 7 for the first time in its glorious four-disc set on my cousin’s chunky OG PlayStation. At that point, the thing that captured my interest the most was how every character had a distinct role and a unique set of skills, and how much balance this brought to the team during battles.
Fast forward to the present, and in the years since joining my current company, Wahl+Case, I’ve been given many opportunities to meet the prospective hires that might be joining my team. And, whoever they are, the one question I always ask is: “If you were starting an RPG game, which class would you pick for your default character?”
The reason I ask this is because you can usually tell quite a lot about a person from their choice of character class. Those that typically start with warrior classes, for example, tend to be competitive and are generally good at taking the initiative. I, however, always start with a healing class. These characters may seem weak in the beginning, but try fighting a boss monster with no healers. It’s impossible. The healers appear to be the least attractive class, but they are always key in the longer battles.
To me, Altruism is much like this.
A Friend in Need
Altruism is one of my top motivators (at 82%), which means I’m happy to spend time and effort helping others, both inside and outside of the office. At work, I enjoy helping my consultants source candidates for roles that they’ve received from clients, regardless of whether this is easy or difficult. Clients aren’t aware of my role in this process, and therefore I don’t get any thanks from them for doing this, but I’m content knowing that the candidates I’ve found are what my consultants and their clients are looking for.
Altruism also underpins many of my actions in my personal life. I always give up my seat to an elderly person on the train, volunteer to help friends move, and invite people over for a home-cooked meal when I have time. I don’t do any of these things expecting to get something in return, but I’m hopeful that actions like these will help to create an atmosphere that drives sharing and kindness.
It’s also a good way of letting people know they can count on me when they need help and is a great way to build trust, empathy, and rapport.
Disadvantages of Altruism
However, there can also be downsides to having Altruism as a top motivator. For example, not everyone will respond in the way you might hope, as some people are skeptical about the concept of ‘paying it forward’—because nothing good comes for free, right?
Altruism can also come with a personal cost if not managed correctly, and this is something I sometimes struggle with. If you’re always open to giving up your time to help others, it can have an adverse effect on your own work, as you may not have as much time and energy to dedicate to it as you would otherwise. You also have to be mindful of the possibility that some people may take advantage of your altruistic nature to burden you with tasks that are not your responsibility.
I’ve learned that time management is key in this regard. Altruism may involve putting others’ needs ahead of your own, but it’s also important to retain a clear focus on your own goals and obligations, and to set aside time to prioritize these before committing to help colleagues or friends.
Using Altruism Effectively
If nurtured and managed correctly, people with a high Altruism score can help companies foster an atmosphere of psychological safety, and this in turn will help you build a team of complementary individuals, and not just uniform ‘robots’. The world’s best ideas don’t usually come from one individual but from the collective fine-tuning of a diverse team, and creating an environment in which everyone feels empowered to share and assist each other is a great way to cultivate this kind of thinking.
So my advice is to try to think of your team as if they were a group about to do battle in a game, and remember how important it is to have different values and skill sets that can support one another and bring you closer to your goal.
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July 25, 2021
By Sam Chen 
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