Think of the amazing power you’ll gain from following the advice from this quote. You will always feel better about yourself and you might make someone else feel better also. This can do a lot, not only for your business, but also for your life. It goes with my other favorite saying that my father taught me: Give without remembering and receive without forgetting.
Start right now by thinking of someone to whom you can reach out and help with a business lead or reference or a simple kindness or sincere compliment. Make sure that whenever you receive anything, no matter how small, you immediately reach back and thank the other person by note, call, e-mail, text or gift or maybe a combination of them.
I was recently talking with Joel, a friend and former boss, who said: “We know when we are coming into the world; we just don’t know when we are leaving. That is why it is a good idea to be kind to each person you meet.”
Or, as my wonderful dad said every day while he was on earth and still says to me as he looks down from heaven, “Give everyone you meet a smile and a handshake.”
In going through his things after he passed, my Mom and I came across this list of life lessons that he had written down and always kept in his wallet.
Listen with your inner ear. Hear what is said with the heart, rather than what is said with words.
Listen to the concerns of others.
Know when it is important to just listen.
Communication is hard work.
Hone your skills.
State your thoughts clearly and briefly.
Remember to smile, not scowl.
Above all, be reasonable and understanding.
Be friendly and enthusiastic.
Have a sense of humor.
Be human.
Laugh and grin.
If you had known him, you would recognize that he lived these every day, not only in his medical practice but also in his life with whomever he came in contact with.
The thought also expressed by Mother Theresa that “Kind words can be short and easy to speak and their echoes are truly endless” resonates with me. How can kindness translate into business?
Andrea Nierenberg President of Nierenberg Consulting Group
