Monthly Archives: April 2015

Kindness in the Workplace

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“The common mistake that bullies make is assuming that because someone is nice that he or she is weak. Those traits have nothing to do with each other. In fact, it takes considerable strength and character to be a good person.”  (Mary Elizabeth Williams)

Cloudy Sunrise at Storm LakeOver the years, I’ve accumulated a lot of books about business, management, and leadership.  A lot.  Probably enough to fill a good-sized bookcase.  Many I purchased; many were given to me by authors who wanted to introduce me to their ideas in hopes that I would hire them to speak at a client conference.  I haven’t read them all, but I’ve read quite a few, and I’ve started many more but never gotten past the first few chapters.

I’ve been leafing through them over the last few weeks and have been disappointed—though though not surprised—to see that words like kindness and compassion are mostly absent.  Even the books that approach leadership in refreshing and enlightened ways: The Art of Supportive Leadership, Love and Profit—The Art of Caring Leadership, Leadership Jazz, Leading Change, Leading with Soul….  They’re all good books with good ideas, and good intentions, but the authors don’t seem to see kindness as an important element of leadership.  It baffles me.

It’s as if kindness is too weak and nebulous a concept to be put forth in a serious book about business.  There were a few exceptions and those books happened to be not only the ones that I read all the way through, but often they were the ones that I have read several times and highlighted extensively.  Notable among these were Lance Secretan’s excellent books, Reclaiming Higher Ground and Inspirational Leadership.

I can’t think of many places more in need of kindness than the business world and the American workplace.  Or many places where kindness would make such a difference.  I have to assume that there are business books that address the importance of kindness in the workplace, and I just haven’t come across them yet.  I hope someone will point them out to me.

Several years ago, one of our company’s long-time employees retired.  At the retirement party we held for her, she said the word she would use to describe the company if she were asked was “kind.” I remember thinking at the time that I could think of no word I would rather hear used to describe our company.

Oh, sure, I want us to be daringly innovative and wildly profitable, but even above these qualities, I want us to be kind.  Since that day when Margaret labeled our company’s defining trait, I think we have been more conscious of that value and more committed to it.  Kindness was always modeled by our company’s founder, Lynn Melby, and as each subsequent partner joined the ownership team, we implicitly accepted kindness as one of our personal values, and we continued to cultivate kindness along the way.  That’s not to say we haven’t slipped occasionally.  We’re human, after all, and the business world can, at times, challenge the kindest intentions.

It isn’t easy to always be kind in business, and there may be times when kindness is well-disguised, but if the underlying culture is kind, the intention generally shines through.  Whether we are interviewing, training, correcting, or even terminating an employee, we do our utmost to approach it kindly—using empathy and compassion.  In client or vendor situations, likewise, when problems arise we look for solutions that are fair and respectful to all.  Where we have perhaps failed is in keeping clients too long that don’t share our values.  Clients who don’t practice kindness themselves.  Clients that don’t want to pay for the services they receive, or who put the blame on others for mistakes they make, or who ask us to bend our integrity on their behalf.

Choosing Integrity

A few years ago, after a large conference, a couple of our staff noticed that the hotel had missed a sizable food and beverage charge on the bill.  The client’s convention chair directed them to pay the bill quickly and not point out the error.  Our staff followed their consciences rather than his instructions.  They pointed out the error to the hotel and asked for a corrected bill.  The chairman was not happy.

In doing this, our team not only did the right thing, but also modeled our values to our client and to their office colleagues.  The longer I am in business, the more certain I am that success lies in working with people—employees, clients, suppliers, business partners—who share our values.

Unkind people can learn to be kind, just as dishonest people can learn to be honest.  But if they choose not to value those traits it is probably because beneath it all they believe that others are just as unkind or dishonest as they are.  Our job, then, is to decide whether to work with such people.  If they are likely to change, we should give them that chance, but if they are unlikely to, we should seek our business partners elsewhere.

There’s so much more to be said about kindness in business and in the workplace.  What has been your experience of kindness (or its absence) in business?  Please share your thoughts below.  Maybe we can start a dialogue.

“We live under the illusion that organizations are ‘them’ when, in reality, they are ‘us.’  If we wish to work in evolved organizations, we must each be the first to start the journey.” (Lance Secretan)

What a Wonderful World

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“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” (Chief Seattle, 1854)

Attribution: Donna CameronIt would be unkind of me to refer to the governor and bureaucrats of a certain Southern state (think orange juice and Mickey Mouse) as nincompoops.

What is the kind response in the face of people who say or believe things that defy reason?  In Florida—a state critically susceptible to the effects of rising sea-levels—state officials have banned the use of the terms “climate change,” “global warming,” or “sustainability” in any official communications, emails, or reports.  How does one engage in intelligent discussion about weighty issues if forbidden to use the vocabulary of the subject?

It’s not just Florida.  There are countless policy-makers and bureaucrats who deny an overwhelming body of evidence that our planet is in jeopardy.  Who still express opinions along the lines of: “climate change hasn’t been proved,” and the oft-repeated Ronald Reagan statement, “Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.”

What’s the kind response?  It isn’t to call the politicians and bureaucrats idiots, or portray them as ostriches with their heads in the sand.  That further polarizes the issue.  Those who hold opposing positions on environmental issues dig in their heels, and those who are still neutral don’t want to align with either side—zealots being exhausting companions.

Civil dialogue is essential.  Dialogue that explores the issues, assesses evidence, examines options and outcomes, and respects disagreement.  Dialogue where we assume one another’s good intent.  It’s not going to work if participants engage in name-calling, hyperbole, or insolence, or if essential words or concepts are disallowed.

I’ve deliberately avoided being political on this blog, as tempting as it can be at times to take a cheap shot at a clueless politician (and there are so many of them—of all political stripes).  There may be some who interpret a posting focused on the environment as taking a political stand.  Well, heck, tomorrow is Earth Day and if my kindness can’t extend to the planet that sustains me then I’m blogging on the wrong subject … or maybe the wrong planet.

Earth Day-Dreams

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, to address rising concerns about air pollution, pesticide use, water quality, and endangered species.  Forty-five years later, we face many of the same concerns.  Some problems have improved, many have become more complex and more dire.  The world’s population was 3.7 billion people in 1970; today it’s estimated to be 7.2 billion—almost double.  And we don’t always tread lightly.

That first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.  Those acts have achieved a lot.  But not enough.

On an individual level, millions of people have changed their habits since 1970—we recycle, we avoid pesticides, we compost.  It is making a difference.  But it’s discouraging to see that corporate pollution is still brazen, many policy-makers still deny the problem, and many of our fellow humans just don’t seem to care.  Some scientists warn that we are approaching a tipping point—a point of no return—if we continue to pretend that human activities can’t hurt our planet, and if we continue to pretend it’s not our problem.

The Earth Day Network estimates that more than a billion people in 192 countries will participate in Earth Day activities tomorrow.  This year’s Earth Day theme is “It’s our turn to lead,” encouraging everyday citizens from all walks of life to use their voices to encourage global leaders to take action on climate change, the environment, and the connection between poverty and climate change.

As I explore kindness, I have to think about more than just kindness to people, or to myself, or to animals.  It feels like the ultimate unkindness to ignore the Earth and allow our short-sightedness to damage the planet beyond repair and put our own species—as well as countless others—in jeopardy.  If there’s anything we owe the generations that follow us, it’s a healthy planet and sustainable practices.  Shouldn’t every day be Earth Day?

I believe that at least part of the solution is to be found in kindness.  Acknowledging where there is disagreement and agreeing to seek solutions without name-calling, histrionics, or political posturing.  If we adults cannot do it, let it be a children’s crusade.  On this subject, they seem to be far more rational and tolerant.  Who better to educate adults about the consequences of their actions than those who will suffer or benefit from the decisions we make now?

Lest I get too preachy, I want to conclude by thinking about ways to celebrate Earth Day—perhaps activities that can extend beyond a day and become standard practices or habits.  Here’s what comes to my mind—what else can you think of?

  • Sign up for a volunteer project—cleaning up a stream, planting trees, beautifying a park….
  • Check with your waste management company to be sure you know everything you can recycle and how best to do it—a lot of those rules are changing.
  • Spend some time outdoors—walk along the beach, hike the hills, go to a park (and pick up any trash you encounter) … or just enjoy your backyard.
  • Register with dmachoice.org or catalogchoice.org to reduce the unwanted catalogues you receive—it saves trees and you won’t be inundated with catalogues that insist you need stuff you really don’t need.
  • Think before you print out emails or unnecessary reports at work.
  • Remember to bring your reusable bags when you shop.
  • Make plans to plant a vegetable or herb garden this spring.
  • Look into composting if you aren’t already doing it.
  • Reduce or eliminate pesticide use in your garden.
  • Plant a tree. Or two.
  • Do some of your shopping at your local farmers’ market.
  • Make a donation to an environmental cause you feel strongly about.
  • Take shorter showers—or, better yet, shower or bathe with your sweetie.
  • Ride a bike, walk, or use public transportation in place of driving when possible.

We don’t have to do them all.  Just pick one or two, and when they become habits, pick another couple.  Everything we do or choose not to do—large or small—makes a difference.

Extending kindness to the Earth is the same as extending it to our friends, our families, and ourselves.  And while kindness is something we give with no other motive, and no expectations of return, the kindness we offer our planet will come back to us ten-fold: in clean, healthy air, clear and refreshing water, the shade of stately trees, and the bounty of our food.  Like so many other things related to kindness, it only requires that we be mindful.

What are you doing for Earth Day?  Have a fabulous day.  It is a wonderful world.

“I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man.” (Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe)

Kindness and Generosity – Offering Our Unique Gifts

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“Generosity brings happiness at every stage of its expression. We experience joy in forming the intention to be generous. We experience joy in the actual act of giving something. And we experience joy in remembering the fact that we have given.”  (Gautama Buddha)

Flowering Cherry and Moss 2A few posts ago, I wrote about the connection between kindness and a sense of abundance.  The logical next step when one’s view of the world is of abundance rather than scarcity is to express that abundance through generosity.

I have been blessed to be the recipient of so much generosity throughout my life—from my friends, my professional colleagues, my family, and even strangers.  Their generosity is expressed through the wisdom they so willingly share, through their time, their thoughtful actions, and their kind words.

When we think of generosity, our first thoughts are likely of material gifts or donations of cash, and, of course, these are elemental expressions of generosity, but they aren’t our only gifts.

The Three T’s

There’s an adage in the non-profit world that board members need to be willing to give the three T’s: Time, Talent, and Treasure.  Treasure is usually interpreted in monetary terms—especially for charitable and philanthropic non-profits.  If board members won’t donate to the cause, it’s hard to convince others to do so.  Hence, grant applications will often ask if 100 percent of the board has made a donation to the organization.  Boards with “high-rollers” can usually easily answer yes, but if members of the board are part of the constituency the organization serves, there may be some who have little to spare in the treasure department.  That’s why applications don’t ask how much board members have donated, only if they have.  A $10 donation from someone who may have to skip a meal to make that donation is just as important—perhaps more so—than the $50,000 donation from a corporate CEO.

Being generous with our talent asks only that we are willing to share what we do best, whether that’s fundraising, marketing, budgeting, schmoozing, or baking cupcakes.  Each of us has unique talents and part of the job of being human is recognizing them and sharing them where they are most needed.

Generosity of time is an essential element in non-profits and elsewhere.  As we have explored in an earlier post, we are often so pressed for time, so overscheduled, that we blow off opportunities to extend kindness.  Or maybe we don’t even see them in our rush to meet so many deadlines.  Generosity with our time when time is limited can be a kindness beyond measure—especially if we are able to give without conveying to the recipient our stress or our inconvenience.

Other Ways to Be Generous

Beyond the three T’s, there are a multitude of other ways we can be generous:

We can be generous in deed: It can be as simple as holding a door for someone, helping to carry a heavy load, or offering a hand.  It might be bringing freshly-baked bread to a neighbor or washing someone else’s dirty dishes without grousing.  There are so many generous deeds we can offer—big and small—and mostly it’s a matter of training our eyes to look for them.

We can be generous of word: It doesn’t take much to make someone’s day with a kind word.  Mark Twain famously said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”  Of course, he is also reported to have said: “I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel they have not said enough.”  Both quotes show how powerful a sincerely expressed compliment can be.  And the wonderful thing is that they’re easy!  We can compliment someone on the great service they provided, or the astuteness of an observation, a well-written report, or how their smile brightens a room.  All we have to do is pay attention.

We can be generous of spirit:  The Buddhist practice of metta, often translated as lovingkindness, teaches practitioners to repeat phrases—aimed first at oneself, then loved ones, then acquaintances and strangers, and finally even to adversaries.  The phrases express a wish for happiness, for safety, peace, freedom from pain, and so forth.  In offering metta to people with whom we share conflict or difficulties, people who have hurt or angered us, we are, says Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg, “recognizing our essential interconnectedness.”  Salzberg notes that in offering metta to a difficult person, we are not condoning bad or hurtful actions. “Instead, we are looking deeply into our hearts and discovering a capacity for lovingkindness that is not dependent on circumstances and personalities.”  We are expressing generosity not only to others but to ourselves.  That capacity for compassion is our gift to the world.

If we can give nothing else, let us at least give the benefit of the doubt.  This is easier to do with family and friends than with mere acquaintances and strangers.  If a friend or loved one says something that we find hurtful, it’s usually easy to excuse—“that wasn’t how she meant it to come out,” “I know he’s been under a lot of pressure; he didn’t really mean it.”  Why can’t we offer that same understanding to strangers when they say or do something questionable or hurtful?  Instead, we generally ascribe the worst motives and label them jerks.

In our office, we continually remind ourselves to “assume one another’s good intent.”  A simple statement, but enormously powerful.  If I ruled the world (a frightening thought if there ever was one), I’d have the phrase, “we assume one another’s good intent” printed at the top of every meeting agenda and posted on the wall of every room where people gather.  It all comes down to the simple generosity of giving the benefit of the doubt to everyone we encounter.

Generosity isn’t just something we do for someone else.  When I choose to act generously, the greatest beneficiary is always myself.  There is no better expression of the abundance in my life, nor of the confidence that I not only have enough, I am enough.  Giving creates a joyful sense of oneness with my world and my fellow creatures.

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” (Anne Frank)

 

Uber Kindness

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“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” (Desmond Tutu)

If You Are GrouchyI’ve been reading about how Uber and other companies are changing the dynamic of customer relations.  That old “the-customer-is-always-right” mentality is being stuffed in the trunk with our luggage, and in a nifty bit of table-turning, businesses are rating their customers and rejecting those who don’t measure up.

One would hope that the ultimate outcome will be both companies and customers who strive for pleasant and kind interactions.

In the case of Uber, while passengers have always rated their drivers, now drivers are also rating passengers, and low marks may mean the customer is left waiting at the curb for future transport.  From an Uber blog post:

“An Uber trip should be a good experience for drivers too – drivers shouldn’t have to deal with aggressive, violent, or disrespectful riders. If a rider exhibits disrespectful, threatening, or unsafe behavior, they, too, may no longer be able to use the service.  Have partner drivers been deactivated for consistently poor ratings? You bet. Have riders been given a temporary cooling off period or barred from using the app for inappropriate or unsafe behavior? Yes. The system works to make sure the most respectful riders and drivers are using Uber.”

Lyft, a private-driver taxi company similar to Uber, has followed suit in rating passengers and using those ratings to help determine whether or not to accept ride requests.  Home rental service Airbnb also makes ratings of guests available to help home-owners decide whom they will and will not rent their homes to.

It makes sense.  If I have a choice in who I drive to the airport or who I rent my house to for a week, I’d like it to be the courteous passenger or guest—not the ones who are rude, ill-behaved, or unpleasant.  Admittedly, courtesy can be subjective: one driver might give high marks to the passenger who sits quietly in the back seat, while another might feel that person was cold and unfriendly.  One driver might like conversation and banter, while others prefer silence.  The same holds true with passenger preferences.  Maybe it all comes down to simple common sense: when we meet a person, we gauge their communication style and their personality and we adapt to them.  Ideally, they do the same to us and we meet in the middle, recognizing that we’re each doing the best we can.

The implications are fascinating.  In the case of Uber and Airbnb, customers are learning to be polite and considerate.  They’re learning that people in service industries expect and deserve to be treated with respect.  And they’re learning about the consequences of behaving otherwise.

When the customer rates the service and the service rates the customer, the hope would be that the rating is approached with a spirit of positivity.  All are looking for what’s good rather than for what isn’t.  Those who are optimists and seekers of virtue will find what they are looking for.  The danger is that people who are naturally critical or negative will revel in their new role as faultfinders.  Perhaps the answer is a complex algorithm that calculates each individual in his or her role as both the reviewer and the reviewee.

While there is always the chance of abuse if a subjective system is utilized by subjective and/or flawed individuals, if the company culture is positive, I suspect the system will settle into one that is also predominantly positive.

The Comcast Factor

If one starts out with poor intentions, though, a two-way evaluation system is rife for abuse.  Look at what happened recently with Comcast—a company notorious for both abysmal customer service and a poor company culture.  In February of this year several stories of customer abuse were revealed.  When a customer tried to cancel service, her closing bill arrived addressed to A%#hole Brown.  Another customer who called Comcast to resolve channel access issues found her first name had been changed to “Super Bitch” on her next bill.  It would seem that these are not isolated incidents.  On another customer’s bill, the word “whore” was added before her first name and another customer was given the appellation “dummy.” Stories like this go all the way back to 2005, which would lead one to believe that Comcast has a serious culture problem and is doing little to fix it.  That obvious assumption is supported by the fact that Comcast consistently has the worst customer satisfaction ratings of any ISP in the country and is was named the “Worst Company in America” by a 2014 consumer survey.

The Beginnings of a Consideration Movement

Leaving aside companies like Comcast which show scant hope of ever exhibiting kindness or quality, perhaps there is a burgeoning consideration movement whose time has come: service companies rating their customers … dentists rating their patients … movie theaters rating their patrons….and all with the intent of creating a more pleasant and rewarding two-way relationship.  What do you think?

In our small company, we have exercised our prerogative to dismiss clients a few times over the years—nearly always for behaving disrespectfully toward our employees.  In every case, the decision resulted in improved office morale and created a space for a better, kinder client to fill.  Invariably, our only regret was that we didn’t do it sooner.

While it would be preferable if courtesy and kindness came naturally as a first response, perhaps the threat of a public rating system is what’s needed to arouse our kindness awareness, and that will ultimately lead to habitual kindness responses.

One can always hope….

“Unkind people imagine themselves to be inflicting pain on someone equally unkind.” (Marcel Proust)

Kindness Report Card

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 “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong.  Because someday in your life, you will have been all of these.”  (George Washington Carver)

gradesThe first three months of my year of living kindly have passed like a kid on a skateboard.  Since the end of a quarter seems like an appropriate time for a report card, I will indulge in some self-evaluation.

Am I kinder than I was three months ago?  I think so, but my husband says he hasn’t noticed any difference.

Admittedly, Bill sees me at my worst.  He’s also quick to alert me when I fall short of my intent.  After an apple-green Fiat pulls out right in front of our car from a side street causing me to mash down my brakes, and then slows to a crawl ahead of me, I say, “Oh, come on, lady, really, how about looking both ways?”

Bill’s response: “Was that kind?”  No, probably not.

[Note to self for next time I embark on anything of this nature: do not share intentions with husband—assuming same husband; do not invite him to follow blog.]

As I review the concepts I’ve explored over the last three months, I see that there are some areas where I have taken my ideas to heart, and some where I may not have picked up my own gauntlet.

Overall, I guess I’d give myself about a C+.  Just looking at that grade makes me shudder.  When I was in school (back in the days of crinoline and manual typewriters), anything less than an A was terribly upsetting, and anything lower than a B—well—other than a C in penmanship in 4th grade—I never got any grades lower than B’s (and very few of those).  So giving myself a C+ in kindness feels like failing a test in a favorite subject.

In our office, we’ve been talking a lot about evaluations, and we decided there’s a lot to be said for a simple “thumbs-up” or “thumbs-down” method.  Thumbs up indicates that one’s on the right track, and thumbs down indicates the need for a lot more work.

thumbs downUnder the “needs a lot of work” area of my report card, I would list the following:

Kindness awareness – My tendency toward obliviousness throughout most areas of my life extends to kindness.  I am missing opportunities to be kind by simply not seeing them.  Just as I step over piles of clutter in my office and totally don’t see dirty dishes on the kitchen counter, I am often oblivious to situations where I could offer a kind word or deed.  It is not intentional, it is my own failure to be present and mindful.  I think it’s called GAD (general awareness disorder), and there’s undoubtedly a pharmaceutical company looking into it, or a support group for us somewhere, but, well, who’s paying attention…?

Being judge-y – I think I am doing better here, but I still catch myself with unkind or critical thoughts.  I am, however, far less likely to voice them and more able to brush them aside.  I still find myself wondering, though, about the people who allow their screaming kids to run around the restaurant, or the ones who leave their carts blocking the grocery aisle while they talk on their phones.  I guess they are oblivious in their own ways, too.  Someone told me that it’s okay to think snarky thoughts if I keep them to myself.  I’m not so sure about that, but I’ll take a pass whenever offered.

Risking rejection or looking foolish – At times, I am still hesitant to extend a kindness if I fear it will be rejected.  Likewise, I have passed on opportunities to be kind if I feared they would draw unwanted attention or if I might appear incompetent or foolish.  I play it too safe.  I am incompetent and foolish in so many areas of my life—might as well admit it, get over it, and plough through.

thumbs downMy report card might classify these as “on the right track”:

Patience – While still a long way to go, I am more patient.  I am taking to heart my own perspective that if my #1 job is to be kind, then it’s much easier to be patient when someone or something gets in my way or slows me down.  If being kind supersedes all else, the time it takes shouldn’t bother me—and, more and more, it doesn’t.

Kindness expectations – I am making an effort to expect kindness and smooth sailing in all my interactions, and with very few exceptions that is what I am experiencing.  It does appear that given a chance most people’s default setting is kindness.  The downside to this is that I have had almost no opportunities to see how I do at expressing kindness in the face of unkindness or rudeness.  People are all just so nice.

Kindness awareness – Yes, this was also on my “needs work” list, but there are areas of progress.  I have gotten in the habit of frequently asking myself before I say or do something: Is this the kindest action?  Is this the kind response?  And there have been times when that pause has enabled me to adjust my course or choose differently or more wisely.  A couple of weeks ago, I was stopped for speeding—first time in 35 years.  As the policeman walked up to my car, I reminded myself to be kind and friendly—that this part of his job was not always pleasant.  Are you thinking that I charmed him out of writing me a ticket?  No, that didn’t happen, but he very kindly wrote me up for only five miles above the speed limit, instead of the thirteen I was actually going, which saved me about $70 on the ticket.  I thanked him very sincerely.  Now, on my way home from work, when I see him parked in that same hidden driveway, I am tempted to wave, but I fear he may misinterpret the sign.

Expressing appreciation – Going back to that oblivious thing, I know I am still missing a lot of opportunities to express appreciation, but I am also doing it more: commending people for their work, notes of appreciation, sincere thanks.

So, as a new quarter starts, I see that I have some work to do: I want to extend kindness more even when it may be out of my way or inconvenient—always mindful that it’s my #1 job.  I want to take some risk and be kind even if it might not be comfortable.  I want to overcome inertia and obliviousness and expand my kindness radar.  I want to continue to pause, to express thanks, and look for the kind response.  I also want to get at least a B next quarter, or find a teacher who grades easier….

“The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.”  (Tom Bodett)