ATD Footer Logo

Haley White is studying Business Management and Art History at George Mason University. 

Haley White

Prioritizing everyday acts of kindness in education is critical to support individual well-being, societal impact, and organizational success, and we are all a critical piece of the solution. George Mason University launched the Mason Chooses Kindness initiative in 2020 to inspire its community to engage in intentional kindness by doing caring and generous deeds every day. They are now working tirelessly to encourage others outside our community to do the same. Why? Kindness is always the right thing to do for society, especially in a world that has been termed “on fire,” and research links kindness-centered cultures to positive business outcomes for society, indicating that fostering inclusive, kindness-based cultures is an essential leadership skill. At the Costello College of Business at George Mason University (Costello), they passionately believe leaders educated in environments where kindness reigns are more likely to carry that value into the workplace and navigate a complex and diverse world in ways that benefit society at large. An extensive (and growing) body of research has revealed direct correlations between kindness-centered corporate cultures and positive business outcomes. For example, Mandy O’Neill, professor of management at Costello and senior scientist at George Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, has conducted research on this topic. She and her colleagues have found that organizations with cultures of “companionate love” (affectionate bonding between co-workers) can weather higher levels of collective anxiety without incurring increased operational costs or experiencing greater employee burnout, which can have a societal ripple effect. Education can and should happen everywhere — thank you ATD for accentuating this point— therefore our ask for each of you is to intentionally embed kindness into your daily interactions personally and professionally. We challenge you to think when you see less-than-kind behavior, to stop and ask yourself “If not ME, then who?” and act to lead with kindness to affect those around you. The following is excerpted from George Mason University’s 30 Days of Kindness Calendar.An Individual Roadmap to Kindness:Give someone a genuine compliment.Take a break to prevent burnout.Ask someone what they enjoy doing (and consider doing it with them).Practice active listening.Give thanks before a meal.An Organizational Roadmap to Kindness:Identify kindness champions.Align with strategy.Secure commitment from leadership.Foster true engagement.Measure progress. For more details, refer to our article in AACSB Insights. The ripple effect of doing so is proven. And as Adam Grant so nicely stated in his book Think Again, “When we think about how to plan our lives, there are few things that take priority over happiness…it’s one of the three unalienable rights in our Declaration of Independence.” Yet how many of us intentionally create steps to make this happen in our personal and professional lives? If not you, then who? Be the change. 

An Approach to Intentional Kindness: “If Not Me, Then Who?”

In this toolbox tip, Haley Shust demonstrates how to write meaningful alt text descriptions. Her recommendations include how to create effective alt text descriptions for screen readers, the differences between alt text descriptions and captions, wha

Toolbox Tip: How to Write Alt Text Descriptions

Victoria Halsey is a spirited, inspirational speaker, author, and trainer who energizes audiences by engaging their hearts and their minds. Her lively, animated presentations feature entertaining and humorous anecdotes that allow people to relax and laugh while learning -- a key factor in creating highly effective experiences. People leave Vicki's presentations with renewed conviction to utilize their own brilliance to tackle key personal and organizational issues. As vice president of applied learning for The Ken Blanchard Companies, Vicki partners with organizations to design, deliver, and coach their people through interactive workshops, keynotes, webinars, podcasts, and numerous other classroom and e-learning experiences. Vicki's newest book is Legendary Service: The Key Is to Care. She is also the author of Brilliance by Design.

Victoria Halsey

Rare is the workplace where you don’t have one or more sensitive coworkers. The reasons for such sensitivity are endless, and some are even valid, but when such sensitivity is combined with emotional displays, they can especially be a challenge! Such reactions are one of the main reasons people don’t hold others accountable. As we discuss how to work with sensitive, emotional employees, there are two questions I want to address: Why do people get defensive? What can you do? When I teach or coach leaders, I find that many of them believe that employees get defensive because they simply don’t want to hear “the truth.” As far as the manager is concerned, the employee got caught in their mistake and their guilt is driving them to emotion. So, their response sometimes is to get tough and say unhelpful things like, “Let’s not get emotional, let’s keep this professional,” or “No need to get defensive, let’s stay on topic.” While it may be true sometimes that people get emotional because they feel guilty, our experience suggests something else. When people get defensive, it’s because they don’t trust your intent. They’re leery that you either don’t respect them or don’t respect what they care about (shared goals). When one or both are lacking, or the other person perceives a lack of respect, you see a spike in emotional responses. See, our brains are always scanning our external environment for threats. The moment we perceive a threat, our fight-or-flight response is triggered. We react. Defensiveness is the attempt to restore safety in response to a perceived threat. And some employees may have been shut down, mistreated, or disregarded by previous bosses, contributing to extra sensitivity that needs to be considered. So, what do you do about it? You need to make it clear to the other person that you DO respect them and care about their goals. This can’t be accomplished with trite phrases when you’re in a bind. You’ve got to truly care. The way you treat them outside of crucial moments may do more for your Crucial Conversations than how you respond during them. I love what the late Stephen Covey said. “You can’t talk your way out of something you’ve acted your way into.” If you don’t show respect for their time, their work, or their unique personality, no amount of flowery language will ease their defensiveness. I think you could have a conversation with this person to address this dynamic between the two of you. You might begin, “Hey Gabriel, I’ve noticed a pattern between us that I want to talk about. When I bring up a concern about a commitment you didn’t complete, you often raise your voice or start crying. I’d like us to be able to talk about things in a way that allows both of us to feel heard and find a solution. But I’m wondering if I’ve done something—or not done something—that’s provoking your response. How do you see it?” That may not be a perfect opening statement, so adapt it to work for you. But please see the principle in the details. Be honest about the issue. Don’t let them off the hook because they get emotional. Show them you care AND address the issue. Ask how you can show you care. Keep talking. 

Search results for 'Haley White'

Categories

Refine By