Musings at Altitude

Many of you may have seen the movie or heard of the concept, “pay it forward”, but just for a refresher, it’s returning a kindness provided to you through providing a kindness to someone else.

Imagine what it would be like in business (and in life) if one of our management objectives was to pay it forward:

• When someone sits and listens to an idea and then provides feedback, we pay it forward.
• When someone gives an unexpected hug and thanks us for something we did, we pay it forward.
• When someone gives us valuable feedback, both positive and negative, but does it to make our product better, we pay it forward.
• When a partner or client embraces us and goes above and beyond to show their appreciation or their respect for who we are, we pay it forward.
• When someone puts in that perfect word at the perfect time and provides that perfect connection for us to get that perfect job, we pay it forward.
• When someone stops us in the hallway and say they sense a need to pray for us and at that very time the burdens are heavy and the needs great, we pay it forward.
• When someone uses one of their connections to open a door for us to tell someone us about our company and our services and it leads to an awesome opportunity, we pay it forward.
• When someone invites us to sit in on a meeting that gets our thoughts and our suggestions visible to those who may otherwise not have ever seen or heard from us, we pay it forward.
• When someone checks in on us when we haven’t heard from them in months, just to see how we’re doing and to ask if we need help with anything, we pay it forward.
• When someone recognizes something special we’ve done and how hard we work and then in turn gives us a promotion or bonus, we pay it forward.
• When someone recognizes extra work that was put in and finds a special way to thank us, we pay it forward.
• When someone responds quickly to something we desperately need even though thousands of other things crowd their already busy schedule, we pay it forward.

It’s hard to imagine how much kindness would exist in every workplace if indeed every kindness of any kind was then paid forward.  It’s also hard to imagine how long that list of kindess would be in any given year if we were indeed required to track the kindness provided and the kindness then in turn given.

But wouldn’t it be cool to do it for just one year…or just one quarter…or just one month…or just one week…or even just one day.

Maybe I’ll do that Monday.

When that door is opened, I open a door for someone else.

When that check is picked up, I pick up the check for someone else.

When that call is returned, I return that call for someone else.

When that ear is provided, I listen to someone else.

When that prayer is provided, I pray for someone else.

When that smile is given, I smile at someone else.

When that helping hand is provided, I give a helping hand to someone else.

I’m already smiling, because I already know what the results will be.

We all do.