Does it seem as though there’s nothing but violence and tragedy on the news? We have a bit of an antidote to renew your faith in the goodness of the human spirit. Two videos have been making the web circuit over the past few weeks that show people caught in random acts of kindness.
The first is a compilation of Russian dashcam videos. For insurance purposes, many Russian drivers keep dasboard recorders – that’s why we were able to watch so many great live images of the recent meteorite flashing across the sky. Now, a new compilation shows people caught in the act of doing good deeds.
Another video captures Los Angeles Dodger outfielder Matt Kemp’s touching act of kindness to a young fan who has a terminal illness. More of the story behind this kind gesture.
Random acts of kindness are free and open to anyone to perform. Plus, they are often contagious. Can they find a place in your workplace? Some think they not just can, they should. A recent article in the New York Times, talks about Wharton professor Adam Grant’s new book, Give and Take, in which he makes the case that giving is the secret to getting ahead, a philosophy he espouses in his own career. The article is well worth a reading, and it looks like the book should make it to the top of your summer reading list.
Here’s a brief excerpt of the article:
“Organizational psychology has long concerned itself with how to design work so that people will enjoy it and want to keep doing it. Traditionally the thinking has been that employers should appeal to workers’ more obvious forms of self-interest: financial incentives, yes, but also work that is inherently interesting or offers the possibility for career advancement. Grant’s research, which has generated broad interest in the study of relationships at work and will be published for the first time for a popular audience in his new book, “Give and Take,” starts with a premise that turns the thinking behind those theories on its head. The greatest untapped source of motivation, he argues, is a sense of service to others; focusing on the contribution of our work to other people’s lives has the potential to make us more productive than thinking about helping ourselves.”
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