There is plenty of fear, anger and pain in this world. The news is full it. It is not uncommon to see a variety of rants on social media. They love to inspire the negative emotions. I am not sure if the bad stuff is more prevalent, but we seem to be told of it in more ways and more often.
Recently I was in a meeting with other business owners. I was surprised that the one thing employers are looking for when hiring- is kindness. In the accounting world I look for humanness. I define it as the ability to be patient with others, to see situations from their perspective and to accept others as they are. Most of all I look for emotional maturity. This includes kindness and more. We don’t just prepare tax returns; we offer peace of mind. I work to balance our knowledge, our experience, our technology and our humanness to create peace of mind for those we serve.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is going to make this even more important. AI can be competent and say the correct words, but does it know good from bad? How will it create a relationship? When will it provide a reassuring tone that we can hear? Will it read another’s words, tone and body language, then recognize what the other person needs? I believe AI will meet our logical needs, but can it meet our social and emotional needs? Can it offer kindness?
I accept that my emotions run my life. Reality is that I make decision emotionally, then rationalize them logically. I do a lot of things out of fear, however it is amazing how much a little kindness makes those fears go away.
A Sprinkle of kindness is always appreciated.
Mary Guldan-Lindstrom, CPA
