THE CORPORATE SOMEBODY CATALOGUE…defining kindness

Lately, I have read very interesting posts from different people on this great platform on the aspect of kindness in the workplace. Distinctions have been drawn between laxity guised as kindness and constructive behavior towards colleagues defined as kindness.

For example, an actor may be initially perceived as overly structured and insistent on certain things, which can be unnerving for some. With time, another side of this actor begins to show and some “kindness” surfaces. At this point they are better understood but that is not to suggest that they have thrown away their structured and insistent nature.

My take on workplace kindness is twofold;

Kindness as a personality trait whether arguably innate or learned. Understanding what kindness is as a human being is very important. Being kind, first to oneself and then to others is a gentle yet powerful trait that opens souls to positivity.

Kindness that fosters unity of purpose, collaboration, excellence, achievement of success, harmony and professionalism in the workplace. This is what is usually caught up in a web of confusion in terms of implementation. A sense of entitlement to preferential treatment in the name of kindness, an attitude of divide and rule, reliance on unethical favour and so on are bad seeds and should have no place in the definition of kindness.

Ever heard of the hard triangle and soft Ss in the McKinsey 7S theory of organizational effectiveness?

Strategy, structure and systems form the hard triangle. This triangle is supported by a soft structure, being; shared values, style, staff and skills. This is where “kindness” comes from. It is a soft S attribute coming from shared values and style, in my humble view.

Be kind within context as a corporate actor and let’s make the world better together…