Kindness is a soft skill. Since kindness can be hard to teach, measure or master, many people dismiss it as a nonessential nicety that won’t make or break your business. They value other capitalist-oriented skills more, such as ambition, grit and skill. Consider a fictional example: Scrooge, the main character in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; people recognize he is a miserable, lonely man, and no one would want to be like him or be around him. Yet Scrooge also fits the idea of the selfish and ruthless business owner who makes money because he is willing to take advantage of others. As the story begins, he thinks any generous act detracting from profit is foolish. No business leader is likely to make similar claims in public, but when they consider the business ideas separate from the man, some might secretly think Scrooge’s ideas have some merit. But this is a big mistake. The soft skill of kindness is not just an important life skill; it’s also an important business skill. Being considerate, friendly, helpful and generous is a strength. It does not mean being a pushover or finishing last. Kindness means giving people the benefit of the doubt and remembering they may be dealing with difficult issues. Kindness can strengthen business relationships within any culture, and many benefits involve employees. When the workplace culture is kind, communication is smoother and more effective, and employees are more likely to trust their leaders. Employees focus on their work and are less likely to compete negatively with other employees. Not only are relationships in and outside the company improved, but research also shows that employees with opportunities to be kind at work feel more loyal to their company. Companies with a reputation for being kind find it easier to recruit and retain new employees. That’s a huge plus, as there are currently more open jobs than people to fill them, and qualified applicants have their choice of jobs. Who wouldn’t prefer working at a company where they can feel valued and respected? Productivity also improves. Everybody makes mistakes, especially when trying out new business ideas. Employees WHY BEING KIND AT WORK MATTERS 30
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