Kind: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work

Graham Allcott, Founder - Think Productive & Author
 
It was my first day in my first proper job, working at the University of Birmingham and I’d spent the morning with my new boss, Max. We’d be running through the induction checklist he’d prepared, I’d had brief visits to key departments, I’d signed my payroll forms, and back in his office we got to the last point of the checklist. It simply said “I’m harmless”.
Those two simple words said so much. They told me that Max had thought about me, he knew I’d be nervous on my first day in the job, and that I didn’t need to worry; it told me that he didn’t want to rule by fear or ego; and it was Max indicating that he’d be approachable in the weeks ahead if I needed help figuring things out (which I did!).
It also set the tone for years of a very productive line management relationship – I worked super hard for Max, but out of respect not fear – and in turn it was a big influence on how I went on to manage people in the businesses I’ve s...