Vol 19, Issue 8,   Nov. 17, 2021
 
What does kindness mean to you?  Is it letting the person with two items in line at the grocery store go in front of you, or allowing another driver to merge in traffic? Is it helping someone reach something on a top shelf, or picking up something they dropped? Is it raking leaves or shoveling snow for a neighbor? Is it something you do for a friend or a stranger, or both?
 
Our speaker, author, and kindness catalyst, Linda M. Cohen defines kindness with great care. Its components, she writes include being compassionate, empathetic, respectful, generous, and considerate. In her newest book, The Economy of Kindness, she takes the concept of kindness further — to focus on how kindness affects the people and the culture in the workplace.

Linda M. Cohen
The Economy of Kindness

“Humans want and deserve respect, tolerance, civility, acceptance and kindness at the bare minimum,” Linda says. “We can start close to home with our co-workers, our clients, our community, and even family members. Each of us has a choice, and it is up to us as individuals to start a grassroots movement to reclaim what we will accept in our world.”

Linda started her kindness quest in 2006, when she decided to deal with the grief of her father’s passing by performing 1,000 Mitzvahs. The word mitzvah is derived from the Hebrew root tzavta, meaning “attachment.” To honor her father, Linda chose to focus on the category of mitzvahs centered on doing acts of loving kindness. You can read about it in our previous blog, “Kindness as a Practice.”

The venture resulted in a blog and her first book,1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life, which was published in 2011. The topic of kindness unexpectedly touched a nerve with the public and attracted broad attention. Invitations to speak about it followed, and she was chosen to deliver a TEDx talk.

“As things developed, being with clients and speaking to audiences, it became clear to me that although kindness was important personally it might be even more important in professional organizations,” Linda said. “That led to the concept that eventually became the title of my new book, The Economy of Kindness: How Kindness Transforms Your Bottom Line, and the work I have been doing, especially in light of the pandemic.”

The message was evolving, and the relevant questions were evolving right along with it – and arguably were growing more exploratory in the business setting:

•  “Why does kindness in the workplace matter?”   
•  “What if your organization doesn’t promote a culture of kindness?”
•  “How can you be a kindness catalyst no matter what position you hold in the organization?”
•  “What holds you back from finding ways to be kind?”

Why does kindness in the workplace matter?

It turns out that kindness affects the bottom line in some ways that are unusually important in this post-pandemic period. “I believe the three most important lessons about why kindness is important in the workplace are Reputation, Recruitment and Retention,” Linda explained.
 
“Working to create a culture of kindness within your firm can make a difference for your organization’s reputation, its ability to recruit great talent to your organization, and its ability to retain that talent. It may sound simplistic that kindness practices could make such a huge difference, but your culture impacts employee morale, and that in turn affects employee retention, customer satisfaction, and through them, your bottom line.”
 
Linda also noted that if you are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted right now, it’s good to know that there is scientific evidence that doing a kind deed for another person boosts your serotonin, the chemical in our brains that helps create feelings of satisfaction and well-being. In addition, acts of kindness activate the parts of our brains associated with happiness, creating the experience known as a “giver’s high.”
 
“So,” she asks, “if the research shows it’s good to be kind for the sake of your bottom line as well as your health, wouldn’t you want to add that to your workplace?”

Can something as simple as kindness really have a positive impact on a firm’s bottom line?

“If you consider how much it costs to replace a good employee, then absolutely,” Linda reports. “The last I heard, the cost to replace an employee was about a third of their current salary. And if many people are leaving and replacements being hired and trained, the costs add up quickly.

“It isn’t just about the money though; if you have an organization that has more of a revolving door feeling to it, clearly there is something about your culture that isn’t working.

If you can create a culture (and empower your employees) so they want to come to work, they feel like they are part of a culture where their job is important, and they feel recognized for that work, that’s a great start for retaining them and avoiding the headaches and costs of hiring and re-training.”

What holds employees back from being kind?

In the virtual programs that Linda has been delivering during the pandemic, she has asked participants to answer that question in an anonymous format using a QR code. The question was, “What holds you back from finding ways to be kind?” and in real time dozens of employees chimed in over the months with their answers.

Of course, the most common reasons given tended toward some expectable ones like time, lack of sleep, overwhelm and fatigue. But this anonymous interaction also revealed some unexpected, revealing answers such as new folks, no introductions, meetings, social norms, double standards, rules that make no sense, trust, hunger, and the absence of recognition.

These are issues that can be addressed – and that have other important ramifications for the workplace as well.

“If you recognize what might be holding your employees back from finding ways to be kind,” Linda said, “then you might be able to address at least some of these issues at virtually no cost.”

Kindness in Your Workplace

The above are just a few of the questions Linda answers in her keynotes and workshops. She works with a wide variety of businesses and associations on the ROI of Kindness, offering insight into why kindness matters so much in the workplace – now more than ever.

It’s imperative to your bottom line. Your employees need to feel connected and supported during these changing times. 

To learn more or to invite Linda to speak on an upcoming program, visit her profile with preview videos here , or contact me at barbara@speakwellbeing.com or call 503-699-5031.

Holidays to Remember and Treasure

As we prepare for this year’s holiday celebrations, I’m feeling slightly disoriented. A year ago, we gathered outdoors on a crisp autumn day around a table in the carport of my granddaughter’s rental house — per the COVID guidelines in Oregon to meet outdoors and limit group size to six – and we celebrated Thanksgiving in hats, gloves and face masks. 

I can hardly believe it. That WAS weird! And, yes, we were happy and grateful to be together, and the food, while not piping hot, was warm enough, and it tasted delicious. After being isolated at home for so long, our family time together was short but precious.

And then I really had to think back — was it only two years ago that we had the entire crew here from Colorado and California and seated 13 around our table for Thanksgiving Dinner? Yep. Fondly, I remember it being crowded and chaotic – as well as warm – and I realize that last year I missed the craziness.

We’ll do it this year, indoors with just the granddaughter and the California crew around the table, more like ten for dinner — but that’s a step in the right direction – towards a loving version of chaos and craziness — bring it on!  That’s the way families are. I am grateful!

Until next time, I hope your holidays are safe, peaceful, and filled with the people and experiences that bring you joy, even if they still look and feel a little different this year. Take care of yourself for your well being, and those you love. And stay safe, especially if you’re traveling.

Yours truly,

Barbara

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