better business blog

Tips and stories to add value to you and your organisation

Being Kind

1 November 2015

How kind are you? No, really, think about it….when was the last time you sacrificed profits in order to do the right thing, or gave time to charity, or simply took a moment to say ‘hello’ to a lonely friend?

My feeling is that we are all becoming kinder, thanks to social media and the way it introduces us to a world of kindness. For sure there are only so many hours of cute kitten watching one can do before being violently sick (about 11.5 if my home-based research counts) and so, yes, social media does have a lot to answer for. However, it is a force for good really and is a great way to share kindness with people.

Recently I’ve sent out a few tweets that read ‘Hello @A_N_Other sending you some kindness today’ and I’ve been surprised by the reaction. One of my good friends emailed later in the day to say he was having a miserable time at work and the unexpected tweet really cheered him up. Another tweeted a smile and a third made theirs a favourite. I put some kindness into the world and the world smiled back at me.

I think kindness is one of the new essential ingredients for a successful business. Increasingly young graduates are asking potential employers more about their social responsibility programmes than they are about career paths, because people want to work for an ethically sound business, and not a rapacious soul-chomping monster.

This week take time to be kind. Even if all you do is make your harassed boss a cup of tea (they are human too) and serve it with a smile, then you can award yourself a handful of kindness-points.

As for me, I have two radio shows this week, which is my contribution to a charity I love being part of. You can tweet me on Monday between 8.00pm-9.00pm when I host #NorwichHour @FutureRadio or if you’re in Norwich on Thursday pop into the Forum as I’m doing an Outside Broadcast between 12.00 noon and 2.00pm in support of Living Wage Week. It’s great how one charity can help another to help people get a fairer deal at work. (That’s my view and you’re entitled to yours).

Have a great week being kind!

Next week: Taking Care Of Us