Small change: don’t mistake kindness for weakness

Over the last decade, businesses have become more aware that how they treat their people matters. Concepts like ‘kindness’ have started to penetrate the corporate vocabulary.

This is a development that we should all welcome. Being conscious of the impact that we — and the systems in which we participate — have on others paves the way for a more compassionate, human-centred form of business.

But it is vital that kindness doesn’t become a get-of-jail-free card for poor performance, a lack of accountability or the avoidance of necessary conflict. When you examine it, such behaviour tends to be the opposite of what it means to be kind.

It is worth remembering that the kind thing is not always the nice thing. It is not always the easy thing. In fact, what is kind might sometimes be very difficult to do.

Something to consider: how well does our definition of ‘kindness’ serve us?

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