Be nice.

It was something that my Mum drilled into me at any opportunity as I was growing up. “You may never be the smartest kid, or fastest, or best looking (alright, thanks Mum) – but there’s no excuse to not be nice to others. Treat others with dignity, as you’d want to be treated. Be polite, be respectful and be thankful.

I was reminded of my Mum’s fixation on this simple but important life lesson as I watched the Golden Globes award ceremony on Sunday.

Every single one of the winners – irrespective of whether they were on stage on their own or as a team, and whether they were well-known or not – they thanked those not ‘in shot’. Heart-felt thanks were given to supporting cast, directors, crew, influencers, family, friends. And, for most, even those in the same category that didn’t win were called out.

I was impressed by the mutual respect and feeling shown amongst what I imagine is highly competitive and highly-strung profession.

I’m sure this outpouring of thanks isn’t prevalent on the film set every day – but clearly the underlying feelings are present. Camaraderie, respect and civility. Not often words used to describe corporate life. But why not? 

I work closely with lots of different companies. I get to see the inner workings of iconic brands, large conglomerates, start-ups and lots in-between.

I'm always fascinated to know whether a company puts ‘people-first’. I talk to leaders and employees to find out what life is like in the company behind the camera. What's the culture and environment like? How are decisions made? How does work get done? How does information flow? The difference is frightening between companies that put the experience and wellbeing of their people before everything else and those that just say that do. While most companies have a value that says “our people are our greatest asset” (or something similar) – few invest the time to embed and encourage the right behaviours to actually walk the talk.

The best employee experiences that I’ve seen come from companies with big hearts. Those that led with emotion… who aren’t afraid to share success and failure equally… who empower leaders to lead, encourage individuality and curiosity, and who demonstrate empathy when things don’t do to plan.

And it's the simple things that matter most. People want to feel respected, appreciated, informed and inspired.

So here's a thought for you - to bring this back to where I started...

Imagine you were on stage, right now, at an awards ceremony. The lights are on you and you’re asked to give thanks to your colleagues. Who would you call out? And why? I bet there are names on the list who you take for granted, who may feel under-appreciated, or disconnected. An act of niceness could be exactly what they need.