Unleashing productivity through deliberate kindness
Everyone desires a safe, inclusive workplace culture, but many leaders are so busy managing conflict and merely maintaining the status quo that finding the time and right resources can be overwhelming. Let’s change that.
The Three Kindnesses methodology is centered around three foundational cultural components that every organization needs in order to be truly successful: safety, empathy, and diversity.
Kindness moves us from good intentions to appropriate interventions. We do that by making people feel safe, connecting deeply with them through empathy, and honoring their unique wiring, skills, and lived experiences.
Why Psychological Safety?
In a multi-year research study called Project Aristotle conducted by Google starting in 2012, researchers determined that the number one characteristic of successful, high-performing teams is SAFETY. Team members perform at their best individually and as a group when they do not fear losing face, losing connection, or losing their position on the team or in the organization. A team in crisis means one thing: people do not feel psychologically safe to be who they are, to bring their best selves to work or to speak up and offer their expertise and skills to the team.
Why it matters:
Without safety, teams will always falter and conflict will always surface to disrupt productivity. A truly safe environment, however, ensures higher productivity and employee retention while decreasing the hours of work lost to conflict and conflict management.
Why Empathy?
We believe that EMPATHY is the strongest force in the universe. To truly see and understand another person’s needs is the pinnacle of kindness and the ultimate act of respect. More than the Golden Rule of treating others as WE want to be treated, we believe in treating others as THEY want to be treated, and this requires something of us. It requires that we understand the styles and values of every team member. It requires us to work toward a safe and empathetic workplace where everyone is seen and valued for the unique strengths and skills they bring to the organizational and team communities, and not just how they fit or don’t fit into a neurotypical, extravert-privilege environment.
Why it matters:
EMPATHY means we seek to understand those who may navigate the world differently than we do, and then we act kindly on that newfound understanding. Empathy is kindness with work clothes on.
Why Diversity?
It is no longer enough for us to expect people to conform to rigid neurotypical norms. And we shouldn’t.
- Forty-nine percent of people identify on some part of the introversion spectrum
- Up to 20% of people exhibit characteristics of sensory processing sensitivity
- One in seven people is neurodivergent
- 63 million people carry a diagnosis of ADHD
- 62 million people are on the autism spectrum
Why it matters:
Every time we create organizational and team environments without recognizing the DIVERSITY of values, wiring, needs, and sensitivities, we are losing potential, innovation, camaraderie, and safety.
