UNKNOWN ACTS OF GRACIOUSNESS
Business is business is business and it can be tough. That’s why we all need those little and often unknown acts of graciousness from one another. Most of the time we very likely never know the ones that helped us the most. Occasionally, we might gain direct knowledge of them or even a humorous and delayed knowledge of them. Such was the case for IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, as she shares an experience from her first job interview with IBM 35 years earlier (Max Chafkin. Bloomberg Businessweek . Special Double Issue 8/8/16–8/21/16, pp. 58–60):
“ When I went for my interview, I didn’t have a blue suit. In my mind, I needed one—so I went out and bought one. I had a great interview, and when I came home and took my jacket off, I realized the price and size were still on it. I thought, That was gracious. No one told me. ” (p. 58)
No one among us has not experienced a situation such as Rometty’s, or even one much more embarrassing. Thankfully, our basic humanity enables us to extend kindness to each other. My advice is that we never lose that capability.
Oh, and remember to check the mirror before going out the door!
