How Positive is Your Impact?

In 2004, Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. coauthored a book titled How Full is Your Bucket? New York: Gallop Press. In it they challenged readers to take the “Positive Impact Test” (p. 94) to ascertain whether they have low impact, some impact or high impact on their environment. The test is based upon the premise that with each interaction we impact others in either a positive or negative manner. Like dipping in and removing water from a bucket or making a deposit, our interactions with others either fill us or deplete us emotionally.

I’d like to respond to the authors’ suggestion to “send the link to friends” (visit www.bucketbook.com for additional resources) with a challenge to see how you might focus on being a bucket filler today.

To get the ball rolling, here are a few questions to ask as you navigate this task:

-  Do people proactively reach out to me for assistance (even when they have other options)?

-  If required, are there at least 3 people who would serve as references for me today?

-  Can I remember the last time I helped someone just because I was able to do so?

Education / Inspirational
About: Excellence At Work with Dr. Marilyn
Excellence At Work with Dr. Marilyn combines faith and tenacity to help individuals achieve excellence through keynote speaking engagements, individual and corporate coaching, training, meeting facilitation, and retreats. Whether working with an individual client or a team, the focus is on the achievement of personal and professional goals that facilitate individuals’ abilities to create positive outcomes within their households, organizations, places of worship, and/or communities.  Through motivational speaking, life coaching, and corporate interventions, Dr. Marilyn has developed a “just do it” style that motivates and encourages clients to achieve higher levels of personal and professional effectiveness. She is the author of Running Away for Three Weeks, an inspirational autobiography designed to prepare readers for maximum effectiveness in the workplace; creator of Discovering Your Workplace Gifts, an assessment to help individuals identify the gifts they were motivated to discover in Running; and author of Six Steps to Excellence for Leaders, a roadmap to personal and professional excellence for all leaders.