In this day and age, we often do not feedback our thanks and appreciation to those that may have helped us or gone the extra mile to provide a good service.
I believe that praise and positive feedback (where due) is highly valuable and do not see enough of it. I am not just talking about big gestures, but the small ones that can often lift a person’s spirits and make their day.
Associated with this is the Random Acts of Kindness movement which first came to my attention in 2014 when teenager Stephen Sutton went viral when dying from cancer but displayed an amazing positive attitude that went way beyond his years. He posted a double thumbs up and his mourners were then asked to perform Random Acts of Kindness in his memory.
So what I would ask is that in the next week, make a conscious effort to provide some positivity where due:
- Post a great review on Google, LinkedIn or FaceBook for a product or service you have received
- Give a personal ‘thank you’ by telling someone directly how you appreciated their effort. (Especially if they are often overlooked – how many of us make a point of thanking networking event organisers for all their time and efforts, for example!)
- Let someone with a few items go before you in the queue at the supermarket
- Offer the change if someone is struggling at the car park machine
- Thank those that are regularly around us such as colleagues, friends or family who we forget help us every day
Just think of the difference it makes to you when you receive thanks or a surprise positive gesture. It feels great…and you are more likely to pass it on!
Let’s make the world a smilier place!
