It feels good to be catering events again.  They may be smaller in size and scope, and we are working hard to take extra precautions, but it is awesome to be interacting with our clients and their guests and creating exceptional experiences for them.  Our team takes a tremendous amount of pride in our work and although we are service providers, it’s nice to be recognized as partners in making events happen.  Most of our clients are phenomenal to work with and really appreciate what we do.  And then there are some that take it a step further.  They go beyond just respecting us by showing our team sincere kindness.  This weekend I was inspired by a bride and groom. Chandler and Amanuel were scheduled to have their wedding on July 18th at for 150 people at a venue here in Denver.  Due to Covid-19 they weren’t able to have the wedding they had hoped for, however, they kept their wedding date and held an intimate celebration in a relative's back yard.  These two had plenty to be upset about and no one would have blamed them for being disappointed with a less than ideal situation.  Yet, they displayed an incredible level of kindness toward everyone on Saturday evening.  Not just their close friends and family, but the musician, the photographer and our team, the caterers.  They recognized us during their toast, they referred to our team by name and remembered me from a tour they had done at our facility months ago - even bringing up my alma mater (Go Ducks) and at multiple points in the evening they asked if there was anything they could do to help us. 

We need more kindness in our world right now.  We are currently being bombarded with negativity in our news that can be overwhelming and create a sense of fear that is paralyzing.  Our stress is running high and our patience is running low due to what we are all going through.  Yet none of those things prevent us from being kind to one another.  

Kindness blurs the line of “us vs. them” and “me vs. you”. We need to let go of having to be right or proving that someone else is wrong.   When we show up with kindness in our hearts, we can hold different opinions, share our views and respectfully disagree while still maintaining friendships, camaraderie and community.   Kindness allows us to have empathy for all things we share this planet with.  And on top of that, kindness is contagious.  Those who are on the receiving end of an act of kindness or witness one taking place are more likely to be kind both to themselves and to others.  Those positive feelings that we get inspire future generosity and create a wave of kindness that ripples throughout our communities. 

I want to thank Chandler and Amanuel for allowing us to be part of their special day. Being at their wedding reminded me of the importance of being kind to one another.  I hope their kindness continues to have a positive impact on the people they interact with and I hope all of us are inspired to continue a constant flow of positive ripples in our lives.

If you’re looking to foster more kindness in your organization, your family, and your community,  here are three ways to start:

1. Look for kindness.  I’ve said many times, if you look for the best in people, you’ll find it and if you look for the worst in people, you’ll find that too.  When we seek out examples of people being kind or acts of kindness, we will find what we are looking for and train our brains to scan the world more readily for kindness that will inspire more kindness on our part.

2. Model kindness yourself.  If we want others to be kind, we have to be a prime example of what that means and how to do it.  If you're struggling with where to start, Buzz Feed came up with a list of 101 easy ideas for random acts of kindness.

3. Build connection.  Connection is critical for our ability to be kind to one another.  When we feel like we don’t belong, we focus on ourselves and our own needs.  When we create reminders of connectedness, we build community and foster an environment in which we think about how we can help each other and are much more likely to show kindness in our interactions.

*Each week I share a leadership message with our team and we are honored to share it with you via MIBE Tribe.  MIBE (the acronym for Make It Better Everyday) Tribe delivers education on heart leadership and intentional culture building for the hospitality industry.