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TEDx Talks
Published: 2017-09-12
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IfsXdKQymk
a few months ago when I found out I was going to be speaking to you about this topic I had a nightmare I dreamt that someone from the audience came running in and push me off states you see I'm going to be speaking to you about kindness and business do you ever hear these two words together the company a little skepticism with the combination in my
dream I could feel the persistence of this person to the idea that kindness can be a guiding force in business and of course it was my dream it with my own persistence why do we resist to this idea that businesses come behind I think counter of kindness and business well I think the simplest answer is because we have all been burnt we have all heard about
experience we've all had bad customer service or low quality product sold to us via feel good marketing and the issue of kindness and business it's not just of course about customer service and marketing we think of worse things we're thinking of companies who pollute the earth and the sea we hear of bullying in the workplace or we read of lack of financial transparency in companies no
wonder we are skeptical now because I see that I am coaching work with entrepreneurs I'm interested in this not just African Sumer but from the business side and we can look at this in another way what is business distance is a social activity it is one of the biggest plot forms of social engagement that we humans have we spend a huge time a huge part of
our lives involved in business we work in them or invest in them we buy from them I need to discuss who inject human qualities into them now some say that kind this is a tough skill I think it is it is a soft power that we must unapologetically use more of famous evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould said that violence sexism and general nastiness I biological since
David percent one subset of a possible range of behaviors but peacefulness equality unkindness of justice biological and we think we may see their influence increase if we can create social structures that permit them to flourish kind this comes from empathy from being able to put ourselves in the shoes of others and I believe that we can intentionally create kindness in business that we could put kind
it's at the core of our business models I %HESITATION would like to speak to you about an experience I have had where I have been %HESITATION leading a happiness project group which I have given the the amazing experience to see how a social structures come be formed to create empathy and reciprocity and you may ask yourself well what is happiness project group has to do with
business well let me give you an example see someone from the group let's call her Anna because and says that she has had a conflict at work well we all put our heads together and we tell stories of times that we had a conflict at work and we all say well there are some simple actions that you can take to become happier that is the essence
of our groups simple actions to create a result we all brainstorm for simple ideas that this person can take for example she can our research and use more effective language or she can learn how to put better personal boundaries or she can re frame how she views her boss or she can bothered support of other colleagues now when we put our heads together we we are
bringing online resources we bring advice we bring our own insights which not only helps ana but helps the entire group and ultimately of course it is up to Iraq to take these simple actions to become happier but just like in a business setting pope grouping buyer meant really matters a person may be driven or being aspired to take action if the organization provides for them the
systems this basis and the technology where people can get together resolve problems using empathetic thinking now are there companies out there who are already creating social structures and business systems that foster empathy and kindness to create growth more importantly it's a creating profits that we can measure you bet here is the empathy index these are the top fifteen companies of the empathy index published in the
Harvard Business Review he takes into consideration internal Coulter employee reviews CEO performance ethics sensing ability ratings and social media enter actions of one hundred and seventy companies in major financial indexes now the top companies having creased in market value twice as fast as those at the bottom which means that kind this is a competitive at Facebook Google this Carol global companies but biggest to the smallest
company in the world has a big impact on society from communities and therefore the decisions taken inside them affects all of us now we as humans have an innate ability to be kind but sometimes that needs to be reinforced so let's do what we do in the happiness project group I will give you three simple actions that you can take if you are somehow involved in
the business if you're an employee if you're an investor if you're somehow related to a business you can take these three actions as a tool to inject kind of into it first one open your wings this is very simple we I need to create the social structures we need to create this business systems but Dr kindest into the sea into the business we cannot say it's
not my job because it's everyone's job first please of the empathy index one by Facebook with one because of the empathy lab alive inside Facebook that was created by a team of engineers who wanted to make sure that the app can be used but people with physical disabilities it's engineering with empathy and we can all do something like this this many other examples there's employees who
have started meditation clubs to reduce burnout into increased of compassion there are leaders who let employees working projects not related to the short term but that will build the future what comes next what we can't even imagine so it takes entitlement and personal power stepping into your personal power how are you going to create those social structures this business systems how are you going to open
your wings second accent own what you sell this one's easy right it's about responsibility responsibility for use in empathy and kindness in all of our decision I stopped in our tracks if we have to take a company who has who has a project but pulls out of this project because it may create ecological damage or eco side how to such a company that created well the
people in the company have to step into the shoes of the people in the community they have to look at communist past there Norstar and they have to go on an empathy journey together with their customers their employees and those communities and engage in authentic dialogue at the end they will do what's good for the business and also for society Highness like anything you have it
may feel awkward at first many takes really intention and repetition for it to feel natural third action tell the truth and tell the world no more good stories that you create the more kindness you plant inside your organization the more you can tell the world and this is also about transparency trust comes from being open up front no one such story that I personally love it's
what some supermarkets are doing to serve families with autistic children in the U. S. in the UK in Finland the open stores exclusively for these families so that they can have a less stimulating environment so that they can shop in silence it's priceless for those parents and the good news is that if you are one of these businesses who act sympathetically you become an influencer in
your industry other companies follow you isn't that great now that was your your action plan for those of you who are involved somehow in a business but what about US consumers and we are all consumers consumers are the biggest moving part in all of the interlocking parts of the business but before I give you your action at the consumer I do want to make clear that
the purpose of injecting kindness into business if not to create positive feeling fun off the consumer so we buy more the purpose of injecting kind us into business is to create positive behaviors to fight Khan pennies that will create a chain reaction out of the businesses and into society so you're one action to take to ask for kind if consumers need to tell the companies that
we want a real connection that we want to feel that there is a good and positive impact in our lives but in our communities and businesses need a mandate from us so yes complain email posting social media blog suggested new ways that businesses can be kind to us and specially educate yourself be conscious consumer and it's a two way street so give feedback to those that
are on the right track even courage meant to those companies that are being kind but to my nightmare today I don't feel resistance anymore I know that we as human beings have the ability to be empathetic in all of our relationships and I know what happens when a group of artists mixed together and takes action I have no doubt that we can intentionally make decisions with
