I heard the second story when I spoke at a women’s leaders event for a major retail chain. I addressed 250 women, with only three men in the audience: the CEO and two vice presidents. They were working in the grocery market, and I asked them to share a time they had received kindness from a manager. A woman raised her hand. A decade earlier, when she was in her 20s, she worked in a different state than her family and missed them very much. The manager called her in at Christmas and instructed her to buy a ticket the company would pay for, take a week and visit her family. That was a huge gift; you never get that holiday week off when you are in the retail business. One of the three men in the room was the boss who made that Christmas trip possible. I got choked up, witnessing that. It reaffirmed the rippled effect and how long somebody might hold on to a remembered kindness. Most people don’t forget. What is the most important lesson about kindness that you’ve learned? I have three lessons, not one. 1. The size of the kindness doesn’t necessarily matter. 2. Kindness has a ripple effect. Even one act can make a difference. 3. It is harder to receive kindness than it is to give kindness. Many people struggle with receiving, but when we receive kindness gracefully, we let them give us an important gift. “Thank you” is a complete sentence, and we should practice it regularly. Do you have a story to share that you heard after a presentation? In my book, I wrote about one gentleman who was in the senior living world before the pandemic. He was the franchise owner of a home care business. He wanted to recognize people in their work because he knew they were working with elderly adults. This business owner would meet on Mondays at the beginning of the pandemic with front-line home-care Linda lives in Portland, Oregon. She and her husband have two adult children and one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. To learn more, please visit lindacohenconsulting.com. workers. It was still unclear how contagious COVID was, so he made sure he knew what they needed and gave them hand sanitizer, lunch and water. Later, when the staff returned to the office, he had them work Fridays at home that summer, beginning in June 2021. He knew they could work remotely and get their job done. He made people feel valued and appreciated. Do you have other mentors who have helped you along the way? When I began speaking professionally, I joined the National Speakers Association. Keynoters, trainers and consultants are all members who have helped me 100%. I wouldn’t be at my current level without their encouragement, and I have encouraged others, too. What are some lessons you have learned from them? A fellow speaker once said, “Curiosity didn’t kill the cat; comparison did.” Celebrate your wins before you start working on conquering the next mountain. Also, build a bigger pie in your life. I try to live a life of abundance, not scarcity. Choose to live in a place of abundance. Tell yourself different work and a better client are coming when something doesn’t work out. What do you want readers of this article to remember about you and your work when they finish reading it? What is the main takeaway? I invite you to become a kindness catalyst, too. Humanity wants more kindness, and we are disenfranchised without it. When people are surrounded by kindness in the workplace, they are healthier, happier, less stressed and less burned out. Real-life research in the last decade supports that conclusion, and more research is continuing to come out. The Community Banker 27
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