Have you heard of the concept of EBA/ Emotional Bank account?
According to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People programme, an EBA is a metaphor for the amount of trust that exists in a relationship. Withdrawals breaks down and lessen trust in a relationship. You may read up more on this in Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits book: In a nutshell, for those who think I am not writing in English…
For one to have a strong EBA:
- we are told to remember the 5:1 rule that is it may take 5 deposits to make up for one withdrawal
- the other person’s “currency”: What constitutes a deposit to one person may be a withdrawal to another
- to be sincere and consistent in your deposits. Small deposits over time build large account balances.
I hope I have been a good person if not a friend
- that if you bump into me at the corridor you’d lift up your head to say hi, instead of trying to look occupied and trying to be concentrating on your non-existent new emails on your BB
- that if I have not reached the office by 9, you’d text or leave a message on my wall asking where the hell am I, don’t I know it’s a work day!
- that if you’d think of somewhere to go during your lunch break and you need company you’d look up for me
- you saw me passing by looking like I’m about to faint you’d stop me and ask what’s wrong
- that if you saw me sitting down on the floor in my office even if my chair is just a foot away, you’d knock on my door and ask if everything is ok
If you will not do any of the above for whatever reason,
- do let me know now why I repulse you that badly for I am consciously trying to improve myself as a person and I do welcome your honest opinion.
I’m praying hard right now that I don’t make anybody feel that way and my presence in your life has made your life quite pleasant, if not at least no major impact until you’d hate me so.
*** I’m writing this as a reminder to myself to be a good friend, a good colleague, a good neighbour and a good human being to all. This is a lesson learnt when at the office the other day somebody was found to be almost fainting and nobody bothered to ask what was wrong. Somebody at one point even found her/him on the floor of her/his office even though she/he had a chair a foot away, but dared not ask what was wrong. The question is are the people who saw her/him in those conditions that bad of a human being and so insensitive to others in need. Or has she/he not deposited enough in the emotional bank that people do not have the heart to care. I surely do not wish to be like this. So again I’m asking if my emotional bank account is in the negative in your books do let me know. I shall start depositing now.
