Can’t we just be kind?

Just because you are in a competition doesn’t mean you can’t be kind.

Sometimes in business, it can feel like the only way to win is for someone else to lose, but if we think differently, we can often find a way for everyone to get what they need. I’m not just talking about traditional negotiations, but things like project trade-offs and funding competitions set us up so that only one side can win. By seeing things as binary, we not only create an adversarial culture, but we also lose the ability to move multiple initiatives forward, thereby increasing the overall risk to the business. Finding even small ways to say anything other than “no” might mean the difference between having an empowered and engaged workforce and one who quickly burns out.

These custom painted and bedazzled clothes pins on my daughter’s cheer backpack are a great reminder that you can do your best and also root for those around you to do their best. At the competitions, the girls “clip” each other with inspirational messages when they aren’t looking as a sign of support and comradery.

It got me thinking about how we can make small decisions that impact how other people work and how we sometimes forget that when everyone feels valued and supported then we can all perform at our best.