Once I was standing by the elevator having a pity
party because I just couldn’t see how I was ever
going to fit in with these new colleagues.
Suddenly I felt a light tap on my shoulder. When I
looked up, this colleague just smiled at me in a way
that said, “Hang in there.” He’ll probably never know
the impact of that kindness.
In our last issue, I asked if any of you had examples
of kindness at your workplaces. Here’s what a
couple of you said:
Emily – Last May, our house caught on fire
and our family found ourselves in temporary housing
for nearly six months. My co-workers flooded our
family with offers of housing, babysitting and
playdates. One co-worker even took us on a picnic
and to a concert, just to give us a break from the
stress.
Erin – Once while traveling, a woman in the
office I was visiting brought me peaches and
blueberries from home so I could have breakfast
when I arrived from a very early morning flight. It
was completely unexpected, not to mention
unnecessary, but it made my day.
A smile, a picnic, some peaches – it doesn’t take
that much to make someone else’s day or even pull
them in off the emotional ledge.
Working in a virtual world? An email, an instant
message or a well-timed phone call can do the same.
It costs nothing to be kind. Think about it.
