Is it actually possible for companies to save money by training managers to be kind?
Kindness is such a soft skill that it is tough for managers, VPs, and CEOs to justify kindness training, much less pay for it. But, the statistics keep piling up.
Unkindness is costing YOUR company big money!
I don't mean your company was named in the Inc. article about businesses losing a trillion (with a T) dollars but it stands to reason, if everyone else is losing that much, you probably are as well.
Not surprising, the article with this powerful information wasn't about kindness. It never even mentions it. The article is about companies having employees quit because their managers don't ask them two questions.
Managers don't ask employees. In the three months before they left, 52% of those who left said no manager asked them a question about their job satisfaction. Nor do they as about the employee's future with the organization.
Those are two questions that express a manager's interest in their employee. Expressing interest is an act of kindness. And, this is one that is actually a responsibility of a manager - checking in with employees. In this case, kindness is their job and they still aren't doing it.
And, in case a manager is motivated but unfamiliar with expressions of interest, the author offered these three bonus questions:
What's frustrating you?
What are your dreams?
Where do they want to go?
Here is the original article from Inc. by Marcel Schwantes
I’m Neal Nybo. I am a motivational speaker and transitional leader. Visit me at NealNybo.com and pick up a free copy of my booklet, Unleash The Power of Kindness.