Last week I was reminded of a simple practice we can all engage in that can make a HUGE difference in our ability to influence whether those we work with:

- Have high morale.
- Are easy to work.
- Want to help us.
- Treat others well.
- Want to work well with their teammates.
- Think about others, rather than just their own well-being.

Whether you are a supervisor or an individual contributor in your company, you can engage in this practice.

With this practice, you not only can make a powerful impact on the morale of those you work with, you also model for others a way of interacting that makes for a more positive, productive work environment.

The practice of “Spreading Goodwill.”

Despite all the complexity around what it takes to be a great manager or leader, I believe one of the most powerful things you can do is exceedingly simple. You can Spread Goodwill.

Spreading Goodwill is doing things that demonstrate kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness, and altruism. It can be as simple as complimenting another on their unique ear rings or tie. It can mean noticing and complimenting a team mate on the articulate way they presented their idea in a meeting. It can be letting an administrative assistant’s boss know how gracious and friendly she always is. It could be offering to help out a colleague without them needing to ask.

Last week, I was struck by the level of courtesy and thoughtfulness demonstrated by a travel agent for a company I work with. As we emailed back and forth about my upcoming flight, she was incredibly prompt in her responses and just an overall cheery individual to work with. Given the lack of courtesy from another person I had been dealing with that week, her conscientious, cheerful ways were such a pleasant respite.

Don’t Just Feel Appreciative, Say Something

I felt so appreciative of both her responsiveness and her friendliness, I thanked her and then emailed a manager at her company to let him know how impressed I was with her. I asked him to forward my email to this lady’s boss.

Soon after, I receive an email from the agent thanking me for sending the email and how it had left her speechless.

Think about it. All it took was 15 seconds to shoot out that email. Think about the difference it made in this woman’s day. Now, think of how that little extra dose of good cheer, that little extra knowledge that her good work is noticed and appreciated might affect how she deals with others?

And that extra dose of good cheer she brings to those she works with, how might that affect how they interact with others?

What Happens to You When You Spread Goodwill?

Also, think about the effect this had on me. Just like you, I feel good when I’ve done something nice for someone else. We feel good when we’ve been our “best self”, rather than our preoccupied, impatient, or self-absorbed selves. So not only was her day made by this very simple act of kindness, so was mine.

And that’s what makes Spreading Goodwill so powerful. Both the “giver” and the “receiver” feel better as a result.

What Would Happen At Your Company If Everybody Made It a Practice to Spread Goodwill?

Think of what could happen in your company if people Spread Goodwill on a regular basis. What do you think that would do to the collective mood and performance of your workforce?

Even if people are already happy and productive, it will bump it up even higher. Because both the giver and the receiver feel better as a result of Spreading Goodwill, if doing so becomes an ongoing practice in your company, everybody will operate at a higher level of functioning. In short, Spreading Goodwill brings out the Higher Self in everybody.

Perhaps We’re the Greatest Beneficiary

In closing, I’d like to share a great quote about the effect of kindness on the “giver”, from the book The Power of Kindness by Piero Ferrucci.

The quote is from Aldous Huxley, the English writer who was also a pioneer in the study of philosophies and practices for developing human potential. Near the end of his long and illustrious career, he said the following:

“People often ask me what is the most effective technique for transforming their life. It is a little embarrassing that after years and years of research and experimentation, I have to say that the best answer is — just be a little kinder.”