We are all still “high” from celebrating the launch of Graham’s fantastic new book “KIND”.
We have captured the 8 Principles of Kindness at Work below, they are also available in PDF by clicking on the button here.
And … here’s the recording for you
The 8 Principles are:
1. Kindness Starts With You
We begin with the fundamental mindset shift that is needed to embrace Kindfulness as your superpower – that we can only truly be kind to others when we are kind to ourselves first. We have to be a role model for ourselves as well as those around us and practising kindness on ourselves puts us in the right mindset to be kinder to others, too.
2. Set Clear Expectations
Being crystal clear about our expectations (even if they are high) is central to an environment of psychological safety and trust. In leadership roles, it’s about defining
the three Vs: the vision for where you want to take people, the values that define and guide your decision-making and the culture, and the measurable value you want each member of your team to add. And whatever your role, these three Vs are the essence of a clear direction. Boundaries, feedback and communication are all part of a Kindful approach.
3. Listen Deeply
There is nothing kinder than giving someone your fullest attention and yet it can often feel like we’re too busy or too embarrassed to listen with depth. This principle will teach you how to hone your empathetic listening skills so that you’re able to tune into what’s really going on.
4. People First, Work Second. Always.
This has been a personal mantra of mine for many years. I created it to set the standard for how I wanted to manage people, especially when the shit hits the fan, but it has come to mean so much more. It’s about recognizing peoples’ need for dignity and honouring the humans that we all are outside of our work.
5. Be Humble
Great things happen at work when you don’t care who takes the credit. When we focus on enabling others and ‘being the spotlight, not the star’, we encourage trust and teamwork. Humility – when we combine a confidence in our own skills with a generosity of spirit – is about getting out of the way of our own egos, in service of the team’s happiness, development and performance.
6. Treat People The Way They Want To Be Treated
It’s often said that you should treat people the way you want to be treated but kinder still is when you treat someone the way they want to be treated. The true test of kindness is when your intention is matched by your impact and your kind gesture means as much to the person receiving it as it did to you giving it. I’ll show you how to act with heart and help ensure that your impact matches your intent.
7. Slow Down
The biggest source of accidental unkindness is busy-ness. When we slow things down, we unlock the compassion and empathy that our fast-paced culture often throws to the back of the queue. If we want to be curious about the needs of others, or make the time to put people first, we need to slow down and this principle offers practical ways to do just that.
8. It Doesn’t End With You
The biggest source of accidental unkindness is busy-ness. When we slow things down, we unlock the compassion and empathy that our fast-paced culture often throws to the back of the queue. If we want to be curious about the needs of others, or make the time to put people first, we need to slow down and this principle offers practical ways to do just that.
