It’s nice to be kind. But, like coffee and tea, kind and nice are not the same.
Kindness is a character strength. Within psychology, it forms part of the ‘Agreeableness’ Big 5 personality trait. It manifests itself through care, compassion, nurture and niceness.
But being kind is more than just being nice.
Kindness means actions intended to benefit others.
How does this translate to the workplace?
Sometimes the best way to help someone at work is to go beyond nice – to be kind.
That might show up as giving honest in the moment feedback on how someone completed a job, delivered a presentation or handled a challenging question in a meeting. And not shying away from having difficult conversations. Because sometimes you have to be clear to be kind.