For those of you that didn’t know, November 13th was World Kindness Day but I think we need to be kind to each other daily, because life is hard enough as it is. It usually doesn’t cost anything to be kind to someone. I often compliment friends and colleagues on their outfits, hair or makeup and immediately, their faces light up. If I’m leaving the Bank or Supermarket and have some extra cash, I’m not going to walk past the woman or man in a wheelchair right outside and I’m not judging anyone who heads straight to their car with bags of groceries, completely unbothered. Or maybe I am! Sometimes all people need is a hug or smile. If your spouse is giving you the silent treatment or your neighbour doesn’t say hello when you bump into them on your way to work, your entire day could be ruined because you’ll start wondering what you did or didn’t do to warrant that. I don’t know about you but I read so much into people’s body language and tone and I’ll give you examples. You go somewhere and the Security Guard gives you a hard time as though you’re on some mission to cause trouble. After all the frisking and quizzing, they eventually let you in and you breathe a sigh of relief thinking the worst is over. You get to the reception area and the pretty girl totally ignores you. You take a seat because they’re available and make a point to “accidentally” drop whatever you’re holding, proposal, briefcase or purse just to get her attention. When she still doesn’t look up, you finally get up and tell her you have an appointment with the Manager but even after you mention his or her name, the receptionist initially acts like she doesn’t know who the person is before finally getting on the Intercom and asking if the person you’re there to meet knows you! And when you ask her to direct you to the right office, she acts like you should already know even that may only be your first time visiting. By the time you get to your meeting, you’re so irked by the entire experience it may affect your pitch. I try not to get into any altercations in such cases because that wouldn’t help the situation but every time it happens, I wonder why people just can’t be nice because as the saying goes, first impressions matter. I’m always going to remember how badly I was treated. Same with mean bosses who never acknowledge your accomplishments but are quick to criticize you when you make a mistake. Like I’ve said so many times, I would choose a low paying job where I’m treated with dignity and respect over a high paying but stressful environment any day. I urge Supervisors and Managers to not always hound subordinates for results. Once in a while, treat us to lunch or give us an impromptu day off and watch us hit those targets!
