Nudge · 2-minute read
Trust is built through small, frequent acts of help far more than through rare grand gestures.
Adam Rifkin popularised the idea that you should be willing to do something for anyone if it takes five minutes or less. Adam Grant’s research on givers shows these small acts compound: generosity that is visible tends to be reciprocated across a group, not just by the person helped.
Trust accumulates like regular deposits, not one large transfer.
The research: Grant (2013), Give and Take; the “five-minute favour” concept credited to Adam Rifkin.
Adapted from Nudges at Work by Tareef Jafferi, shared in partnership with Happily.ai.
Each person does one small act of help a day that takes five minutes or less — an introduction, a quick review, a shared template.
A monthly round where each person appreciates a colleague for a specific behaviour that reflects a company value.
A short stand-up at the start of every shift where teams review one value or standard and share a “wow story” of someone living it.