With many federal resources shrouded in uncertainty, community partners play a more vital role than ever. At last fall’s Mountain Connect conference in Denver, Colorado, I was fortunate enough to moderate a panel with Bo Ford, Digital Equity Manager at the New Mexico State Library, who explained how healthy relationships are a cornerstone of effective public service delivery. 

Reciprocity is the critical component of relationships characterized by sharing one’s own needs and meeting the needs of others, communicating openly and honestly, practicing interdependence, and connecting emotionally through empathy. In the book Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, author Adam Grant describes three types of reciprocity styles. Givers provide assistance without expecting anything in return, takers request assistance without offering anything in return, and matchers support as well as seeking reciprocity from others. Each of these styles has its own advantages and disadvantages. Understanding the role that context plays in reciprocity can help us harness our own reciprocity style while supporting others. 

Reciprocal Leadership

Reciprocity may play different roles across the many various leadership styles, but those that favor giving over taking or matching are shown to increase workplace motivation and satisfaction. In 2023, researchers Nicola Belle and Paola Cantarelli released the findings of a study observing 16,461 public professionals, finding that supervisor reciprocity style directly impacts employee motivation and satisfaction. The findings, published in Give, take, or match? Styles of reciprocity, job satisfaction, and work motivation, reveal that both supervisors and peers with a giving style substantially improve workplace motivation. Notably, colleagues with a giving style have a relatively larger impact on employee motivation than giving-style supervisors. Conversely, an arriving colleague with a taking style is expected to decrease employee motivation compared to a taker’s departure. 

Reciprocal Support

Taking might seem like the more natural role for someone using social services, research shows that matching and giving also play important roles in satisfaction and well-being. A 2024 study of North Korean refugees living in South Korea found that several refugees felt uncomfortable requesting support from others without giving in return. Researchers Soim Park, Jennifer A. Wenzel, Jin Won Kim, and Pamela J. Surkan found that reciprocating and giving to others in need improved self-esteem, with refugees citing exchange of support as a source of happiness, satisfaction, and pleasure. 

Working in public service, it can be too easy to forget to invite moments of reciprocity from those who utilize services. In doing so, we may cut ourselves off from a fuller connection with those who we serve. 

Reciprocal Standards 

Reciprocity no doubt plays a critical role in personal relationships, but an often overlooked application has an equally vital role in improving residents’ quality of life—legal and professional reciprocity. Ever since COVID-19 moved many services online, the parameters that previously made sense for professional licensure now seem outdated in a culture where more than half of employers offer remote or hybrid work options. People working in counseling, architecture, engineering, teaching, healthcare, veterinary services, and law, still often face barriers when moving to another state or working with clients outside their geographic region. 

Professionals are not the only people disadvantaged by state licensure processes. For example, students receiving counseling services may be unable to attend sessions during college breaks and older adults with challenging health conditions may face expensive travel for specialist care. Some states have developed compacts, which allow nurses, psychologists, and counselors to practice in another state without the barrier of a costly and time consuming license transfer. With hundreds of thousands of professionals re-entering the workforce, compacts are an excellent way to attract talent through flexibility. 

Better Together

Reciprocity plays an important role in personal, societal, and professional relationships. Developing a spirit of giving and inviting room for others to give by serving as a taker where possible can deepen our connections with others. Likewise, policymakers can support the professional workforce through licensure reciprocity. Regardless of the venue, considering the role of reciprocity in our lives helps identify areas where we have space to give, and take, just a little bit more.