Why Kindness Matters in Business

In the 1970’s, singer Nick Lowe lamented (quite successfully) that being cruel to be kind is a good thing.

While that may be true when ending a relationship, and I’m not saying it is, kindness – not cruelty or meanness – most assuredly matters in business.

I recently observed examples of both kindness and meanness in business situations, and for the life of me, I could not understand the necessity of, or reason for, the meanness that was exhibited.

Yes, in business, the goal is to get ahead of the competition and to reach or exceed your goals. However, believe it or not, how you get there is also vitally important.

Professionally, your most valuable asset is not your education or experience; it’s your reputation.

If your actions or in-actions lead to the presentation of a mean person or organization, your reputation within the business community will quickly begin to reflect that demeanor, whether or not it is actually true.

Clipart from Bing Images

As Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as saying, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”

Think about the businesses you work with, or the products/services you purchase. Do you spend your hard-earned money on businesses and people with good reputations, or those with bad reputations?

Have you ever stopped using a product, service, or business because they were involved in a negative incident? I know I have, and I know many others who do as well.

We've all heard, and probably said at one time, “Business is a dog eat dog world.” Yes, it certainly is.

In my "Who Am I?" blog, I referenced the “It’s not personal, it’s business” philosophy as exhibited in the movie, You've Got Mail. Yes, again, it’s business.

However, being kind to the person or people you are doing business with takes less effort than being mean. By being kind, I don’t mean ignore the business opportunity your competitor doesn't see or cannot take advantage of that is also right in front of your face.

It means simple things like promptly returning emails, phone calls or texts. It means letting people know that you received the information or request they sent to you, and providing an approximate timeline for a response.

It also means not embarrassing, demeaning or belittling your competitor or colleague in front of others – ever.  These behaviors are not only unprofessional; they are mean and uncalled for.

In the words of former First Lady Barbara Bush, “Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people - your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.”

Editor’s Note: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

Who Am I?

“Hi! Dawn Gannon. Nice to meet you!”

“Hi, Dawn. I.M. Fulavet. Nice to meet you, too. What brings you here?”

What brings me here – to this moment – to this event? In other words, who am I?

As business men and women, most of us already know the answer to that question, and those who don’t are struggling to find out. 

For those who do know who they are, have you checked in with yourself lately? Are you really who you wanted to be? 

I’m sure Mr. Fulavet believes he is.

I know this blog has a different tone than most of the others I have written, but the Passover and Easter seasons have struck a different chord with me this year. Both holidays represent freedom from captivity, albeit in different ways. 

Reflecting on the meaning of both has led me to ask myself the following questions:

• What if I have unknowingly become captive in a persona I would never have wanted or could believe I could be?
• Is the success of business goals my highest priority? If so, at what cost, both personally and professionally?
• Have I knowingly stepped on and over others to reach my goals? If so, why would I do that when I have been taught all my life that it is unacceptable behavior?
• Do I have my priorities straight? Where do my family, friends, and I myself fall within that list, and why are they in that order?

The answers, for me and anyone else, lie in the answer to the question: Who am I, really?

Granted, in business, the sharks generally consume the little fish and are successful simply because they think only of themselves. As a business leader, thinking and planning for the success of your business is also tremendously important.

However, in the 1998 version of the movie, You’ve Got Mail, Tom Hanks’ character, Joe Fox, tells Meg Ryan’s character, Kathleen Kelly, that the forced closing of her store is just business; that it’s not personal. But it’s Kathleen’s response to that statement that gets me every time. Click the link below to see the scene.

“All that means is that it wasn’t personal to you. But it was personal to me. It was personal to a lot of people. And what’s so wrong with being personal anyway? Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin with being personal.”

In other words, making your business successful is a great accomplishment, as long as you don't forget to be personal as well.

So, who am I? Perhaps I should start with being personal and let Mr. Fulavet take care of himself.

To those who celebrate, Chag Pesach Sameach and Happy Easter!

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative operations management and strategic planning. She is the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.