Dear readers. Sorry, I went missing and so did my column for the past two weeks. It gave me time to reboot and reset. I was going to write part two of my column ‘The PR Mindset’ but realised that the engine that really powers this mindset is kindness. This approach powers anything that has to do with people. That’s why the subject of today’s column. So here goes. Hope you enjoy reading today’s column. More importantly, you find it relevant and useful.
In the world of today, as we all know humans have devolved in values, most people are still dizzy with the negative after effects of the pandemic disruption, and uncertainty has become the new world order. Mental health problems are showing a steady increase; happiness consultants today are mushrooming. There is a new era of the growth mindset- there is a major resurgence of kindness as today’s super power. I had written an article in February 2024 titled ‘The Kind Mindset’, but those days kindness was still emerging gradually and had not gathered relevance or strength as it has in the current times. With Emotional Quotient as the king of all quotients, the kind mindset is indeed a positive disruptor. It creates better team productivity, greater success with clients and boosts every category of relationships whether personal or professional. However, there is a caveat emptor. The kind mindset only helps boost the turbo of excellence. You need to be good at what you do. Without this excellence, the kind mindset can just backfire and instead prove to be fake. And as you well know, fake is completely out of fashion. Authentic, real and credibility is in vogue and will continue to rock in the long haul.
Any mindset manifests itself through change of behaviour. What are the simple changes that you can make in your behaviour to develop a real and impactful kindness mindset. Here are some.
Kindness at work
Practice real appreciation
We all are quick to criticise when our team members come up with inferior work or miss deadlines. Learn to also appreciate credible good quality work. Remember kindness reduces stress and its multiple side effects. Both for the person who is kind as well as the person who receives kindness.
Become a Kind Mindset example
Remember the Zoomers. They follow leaders who know where to go as well as show how to get there. They dislike just being instructed but accelerate their efforts when their leader works shoulder to shoulder with them. Kindness spreads quickly, it becomes a culture when you lead by example.
Make active listening your trait
As I keep saying, listen for deep understanding, do not just listen to respond. Active listening reflects with how you respond with your whole self-including positive body language. Just listening in today’s world to your team as well as taking on board credible suggestions has become an important act of kindness.
Your kindness improves your business
When you practice a kind mindset, motivated team members perform better. Word of mouth of a kind, inclusive but productive environment attracts serious and hard-working talent. Kindness today is valued as a leadership quality and is perceived to be higher than competency and work ethics
Kindness improves workability
It’s well-known what stress does and how it’s a negative catalyst of good health and optimum productivity. With stress negative hormones get secreted into our bloodstream like cortisol, On the other hand kind mindset actions floods the brain with positive chemicals like serotonin.
Create a culture of helpfulness
Indian work culture usually consists of various negatives. Everyone thinks of themselves and getting success through office politics and credit hijacking. Kindness practice actually creates mutual trust and collaboration. When the team unites for the same cause and the organisational goals, progress happens.
“How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time.” Morgan Freeman
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