Kind: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work

This compassionate manual from executive coach Allcott (How to Fix Meetings) argues that acting with kindness in the workplace is better for business and employees. Pushing back against the veneration of such cutthroat “business bastards” as Jordan Belfort and Steve Jobs, Allcott cites a study that found managers who engaged in “ostracism, incivility, harassment and bullying” depressed employees’ productivity, retention, and quality of work. Being kind doesn’t mean being a pushover, Allcott contends, suggesting that readers tell colleagues what they need, rather than want, to hear. For example, he recommends providing feedback to underperforming employees even if doing so feels uncomfortable, explaining that managers should “make clear you’re FOR the person” and address their actions, not their character. Among Allcott’s “eight principles of kindness at work,” the mantra “people first, work second” best illustrates his empathetic outlook by suggesting that personal matters should sometimes trump business considerations. For managers, this might look like granting requests for time off even when doing so means sacrificing productivity. Unfortunately, other “principles” are just common sense, such as when Allcott exhorts readers to “listen deeply” by holding eye contact with and refraining from interrupting interlocutors. Aside from a handful of studies and anecdotes about famous CEOs, this doesn’t provide much evidence to back its claims. Still, business leaders will appreciate Allcott’s sensitive spin on management. (Jan.)