Spark 4 – How to think more strategically: Kindness: Example

Isn’t it interesting that I need to even write this down? As humans we are wired to be connected and a key to connection is trust. Kindness is a driver of trust…so why isn’t kindness just a default in our thinking? Well, my new friend, I blame capitalism and the patriarchy… but don’t get me started on that just yet!

Now, I’m sure you’re a kind person, but it’s possible to overlook this factor in strategic thinking. Try the following exercise to put it back at the centre of your strategy.

To my mind, deploying kindness in your thinking takes a step beyond understanding and delivering and arrives at a true value proposition. If you are used to understanding what consumers value and then developing products and services to meet this value, then you will be using many of the same tools here.

How to think more strategically: how to embed kindness

In order to embed kindness, we need to develop empathy for those we seek to help and identify what elements inside this empathy we can and should address. To do this, try these steps:

1. Prepare yourself by thinking: ‘This activity is not about me, my workplace or the capabilities we have. It’s about understanding the people we wish to help – deeply.’

2. Identify the people at the centre of the matter. Not just by broad categories, but by profiling them. To do this lean on any one of the free profiling templates available online.
3. Develop an empathy map for each profile. An empathy map is another tool that is widely available online. It helps us understand what people are thinking and feeling in their daily lives, what they hear, what they see and what they say and do.
4. With this under standing we can then develop a sense of what people are trying to get done, what they hope to gain by completing these activities and what pains they experience when undertaking these activities.
5. In other Sparks you will focus on the value you can create for people, but here the focus is on kindness. So, with this information at hand, ask yourself the following questions:a. If there was an act of service or a kindness we could perform for these people, that was not a funded service or transaction, what would it be and why would we do it?

   b. If I could adjust our services to include an act of kindness, would it drive more impact – would it help more?

   c. If we could re-organise all the services, service providers and policy wonks around a system that delivered to kindness as the major goal, what would be the key changes we would make?

6. Bring it back together into a holistic map by scribbling your thoughts on to a whiteboard.
7. Develop a narrative and a strategic response based on this kindness work.

How to think more strategically: exercises for kindness in your organisation

Here are some methods than can be integrated into your daily life and strategic thinking to truly become a kinder individual and organisation. The payoff? Enhanced relationships, a more positive organisational culture and, quite often, more-effective solutions to complex problems:

• Empathy maps: Use various templates available online to better understand others’ perspectives.
• Mindfulness: Practice being present and emotionally aware, making kindness more natural.
• Compassion circles: Share experiences in a supportive environment, focusing on listening to build empathy.
• Kindness journal: Document and reflect on acts of kindness to reinforce this behaviour in daily life.
• Stakeholder empathy mapping: Identify specific needs and opportunities for kindness in your interactions with teams, clients and the community.
• Conflict resolution practice: Prepare for conflicts and use them as chances to demonstrate kindness and foster growth.
• Socratic dialogues: Engage in discussions about complex issues to enhance understanding and kindness towards diverse perspectives.

I know, many of these may seem a bit odd in a strategic thinking book; however, they do speak to one of my underlying philosophies – we must re-integrate our humanity and bring our whole selves if we are to function (and think) better.