"Be kind whenever possible..."

I want to start the week on a high note.  The Dalai Lama admonishes all of us to "Be kind whenever possible."  He follows with something even more profound, "It is always possible."  We are living through some tough times, and I've noticed more and more that the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic has given us all a short fuse.  It's hard to remember to be patient with others, but it shouldn't be hard for all of us to treat each other with respect and kindness. 

A recent workforce study by Qualtrics found that 66% of workers report higher levels of stress since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  More than half of these workers report being more emotionally exhausted and more irritable at work, while nearly one-third report increased anger.  Unfortunately, increased stress can create a vicious cycle - in other words, feeling more stressed leads to even more stress!  A study published in the journal Occupational Health Science showed a significant association between stress at work and insomnia, which creates additional stress, and so on, and so on.

As it turns out, simply being on the receiving end of a rude or angry e-mail at work can impact our life at home.  A recent study by researchers at the University of Illinois suggested that if I receive an angry or rude e-mail at work, it will negatively affect my wife's opinion of her work!

All of these studies are very enlightening and very important.  And they should be enough to convince us to treat our fellow colleagues with kindness.  Given the negative impact of workplace incivility on productivity and performance, leaders need to pay attention to how the individuals on their teams are treating each other.  Now, more than ever, we all just need to take an extra deep breath and be patient and kind.  

Things are going to get better.  We will get through this.  But it's going to take some more time.  So be patient and be kind.