{"id":9589,"date":"2023-05-08T08:37:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T08:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arliemediadesign.com\/?p=9589"},"modified":"2025-03-23T08:42:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-23T08:42:49","slug":"how-to-be-a-multiplier-and-why-it-is-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happy.co.uk\/blogs\/how-to-be-a-multiplier-and-why-it-is-important\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be a Multiplier and Why it is Important"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So what is a Multiplier and a Diminisher?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Multipliers give you freedom and ownership, encourage debate, create an environment that fosters learning and growth \u2013 but also give people challenges to help them grow and develop their skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is not because they are patting us on the back and doing overt things to make us happy. It is that deep happy,\u201d explains Liz. \u201cThey entrusted me with an important piece of work. And I did something really hard. It made a difference.

\u201cI grew, I stretched, I used every IQ point like the good Lord gave me and then, and then I grew a few more through the challenge. And now it feels tiring, but totally exhilarating. It’s that kind of deep, deep, like, joyful, happy.\u201d

And the opposite, Diminishers, are not always the narcissistic, tyrannical, bullying types.

\u201cThat might be the image that comes to mind. But the big shock of the research was that most of the Diminishing that happens is accidental. It comes from good people with good intentions, trying to build a good team, a happy team, and that’s where it gets more interesting.\u201d

Liz explains that being a Multiplier really comes down to two words: \u201csafety and stretch.\u201d

Give people a safe environment, where it\u2019s safe to speak up, where you feel trusted and able to be yourself. Within that environment people can stretch themselves.

\u201cIf they are asking you to do something unreasonable but they haven’t created safety? Well, that is Diminishing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find out more about Multipliers and Diminishers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Liz featured on episode 5 of The Happy Manifesto podcast. Check it out at\u00a0Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0Apple<\/a>, or wherever you get your podcasts – or on\u00a0The Happy Manifesto website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On our four-day\u00a0Happy Workplace Leadership Programme<\/a>\u00a0we cover the concept of Multipliers and Diminishers. This is the feedback from one participant, Rebecca Dobson, a Cardiologist in the NHS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFollowing on from the Multipliers and Diminishers session, I really reflected on my own leadership style.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI realised that due to Covid backlogs and being short-staffed, I had lost sight of the team and was only focused on trying to get the waiting lists down. This had led me on occasion to be a Diminisher rather than a Multiplier.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI called a team meeting and asked team members what their<\/strong> ideas were for increasing efficiency, improving staff morale and what they<\/strong> would like to achieve in their own careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe answers amazed me. Some people wanted to undertake research projects and write scientific abstracts to present at conferences or get published. Others had ideas about how to re-structure a specialist echo clinic to reduce wasted slots. I listened and listened. And then I enabled. Even the ideas I didn\u2019t think would work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe abstracts got written and accepted for publication, leading to a real sense of pride from those involved. The waiting list shortened for the specialist echo clinic. Team members were happier and I was happier. Win win!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a great example of how to fully involve your people. How to include everybody, and how to step back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since we started applying Multipliers at Happy, it has had a very similar effect. Once you step back and enable the team, with real accountability, everything improves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Related Blogs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n