Are you a bucket dipper?
Hello peoples! Happy Wednesday! I'm writing this on a very autumnal Tuesday evening - squirrel, this is actually my favourite time of year - and I thought what better way to head towards the winter months than talking about bucket dipping!
Now you probably already get the gist of what I'm talking about, but let's get down to it. So what on Earth am I talking about? This one takes a little bit of imagination - sorry for those with aphantasia (link in the comments if you have no clue what I'm talking about here) :).
Imagine that everyone has a bucket above their heads, and you want these buckets to be full and brimming to the top (this is the bit that sounds a little counter intuitive because you would like that you want your bucket to be empty but stay with me here).
So everyone has a bucket, and you want that bucket to be full, and the way that we have a full bucket is by positive interactions. Positive interactions with other people. Each time you have a positive interaction, a drop gets added to your bucket. The fuller your bucket, the happier you will be and the more fulfilled you will be. This positive interaction can be a smile, a compliment from a stranger, recognition and praise. It's essentially the things that make you feel good. And the good news is, there are literally (literally, not figuratively, there's actual stats on it!) 20,000 opportunities each day to create those positive interactions!
And so here's the really great news, if you're the person delivering the positive interaction (let's call it the drop in the bucket) then you ALSO get a drop in your bucket. Why? Because it feels good to be kind to other people and make other people smile!
"So what about bucket dippers?" I hear you cry!
Well, bucket dippers are the opposite of bucket fillers. Bucket dippers "dip" from your bucket. They take from your bucket by creating negative interactions. These negative interactions can come in a a couple of different ways - I'll try and be as specific as I can! So bucket dipping could look like nit-picking, negative comments, making fun of someone. It could look like over-criticism of things that aren't really important, and most crucially it can look like a lack of positive reinforcement. The absence of a positive interaction can create the memory of a negative interaction. Imagine that you've delivered an amazing presentation, hit all the key points, had all of the attendees listening intently, and the feedback you yet? Nothing. No well done, no great job. Nothing. THIS can also look like bucket dipping too!
"Why does any of this matter?"
Get ready to show me your shocked faces because there are some major lightbulb moments heading your way!
(and most obvious) Engagement. When our buckets are full we are more engaged. When you're filling others buckets they are more engaged.
(still pretty obvious) Productivity. In a Gallup study 90% of people reported being more productive when they were working with people who were positive.
(and here's where it gets interesting) Life expectancy. A Mayo Clinic study showed that people who experienced more positive emotions and interactions in their life could increase their life span by up to 10 years!! (I'd like to redo my 20's please if we could tag those on at the end) ;)
Relationships. When you're bucket filling, and you work in a team of bucket fillers that team are going to have better relationships, which means they are going to be more cohesive, more likely to be high performing, and more likely to want to stay as part of that team.
So HOW do we do it?
Firstly, I'm not suggesting that we all start going around and excessively praising one another. That won't work. It will come across as being disingenuous and the value of the positive interaction will be lost.
What I am suggesting is:
Firstly think about your positive to negative ratio. For yourself, and for others. The golden ratio for bucket filling to occur is 5:1. So you're going to want 5 positive interactions for every negative action to fill that bucket.
Once you've got that:
Reflect on some recent interactions you've had with your team. How many times did you bucket fill vs bucket dip. This will give you a great starting point.
Then from there:
Spread bucket filling awareness with your team. It's unlikely they know what it is and some people are better bucket fillers than others.
Be intentional about building in times to bucket fill - even if this is not your normal state of being.
Ask people how they like to be recognised, if you're bucket filling in this way. Is it a grand all company announcement, a box of cookies, or a hand written thank you card. You'll bucket fill the most when you individualise your approach.
And finally, check your own bucket health every once in a while. Think about who you're surrounded by and whether they are bucket fillers or bucket dippers. Educate where you can! Sometimes though it's time to move on and away from that relationship.
Final thoughts...
Recognition and appreciation through bucket filling really matters! The #1 reason people leave their jobs? Because they don't feel appreciated. If you've created an amazing team - tell them! It could be the difference between keeping them and them looking elsewhere to get their buckets filled.
Final final thoughts...
I spent some time thinking about this from a personal perspective and realised I do not do enough bucket filling in my personal life. So I'll be working on my 5:1 ratio with the hubs and smalls over the coming months to rectify that. Every day is a learning day and we can all be better :)
I'd love to hear from you about your experience of bucket fillers and bucket dippers!
But for now...
Toodles x
