I saw a post on Facebook this morning that I really liked. Somebody put up a little note saying that as your kids go back to school, to have a talk with them. Tell them that if they see somebody who is shy, or not fitting in, or kind of on the outside, to take a minute and go over and introduce yourself. Say hi and just to be kind. I thought it was a really cool thing that if we did more of, would make the world a better place for a long time to come. I also thought that they had some interesting carry over into our work a day lives.
The stuff that is great and nice to do in kindergarten is still great and nice to do when you get older. I think we still have those opportunities to be inclusive, to help somebody out, and to help someone who is on the outside to come in and be a part of the group and gain a lot of benefit along the way. One of the things that the Facebook post made me think about was how many people I know that maybe aren’t the most outgoing, who aren’t the first person to offer up their opinions but whose input, opinions and knowledge I really value. If I hadn’t gotten to know them as well as I do, I probably would have missed out on a lot.
As you are working your way through life and you have opportunities to speak with those people, it’s worth taking the time to make that effort. One of the things I’ve noticed is that it’s the quiet ones who seem to do the most listening. Sometimes that means that the things they say might be that much more valuable. I know not always but definitely sometimes. So I’m curious what other people’s opinions are and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Love this post! If you go to a school, you’ll probably see a child approach others in a game of four-square and ask,”Hey, can I play too?” There’s no reason why approaching others in the adult world shouldn’t be similarly easy. Also, one of my favorite previous managers told me that she often likes to ask for the opinions/ideas of the quieter individuals in meetings – they’re often the ones with the best ideas because they’re listening to the entire room and synthesizing everything.
I really appreciate the kind words. I completely agree with your former manager on eliciting ideas from the quiet ones in the group.