Kindness is the base of empathy and it is essensial for success in all areas of life. And trust is one of the most important abilities that enables us to be effective. And it is the empathy that helps us to build trust. I found it is essential to listen, ask open-ended questions and providing feedback to establish trust.
Trust needs to begin with openness, kindness and sincerity. And I totally agree with the author that trust begets trust.
Empathic listening strengthens our midnfulness, kindness, and as a result we become more perceptive and receptive.
I didn't try the meditation, but I agree that "kindness is a sustainable source of happiness".
View #1.
I used to coordinate one small project, and I needed an engineer to be assigned to one of the tasks under this project. I sent an enquiry to resource manager, and my request was declined with the comment that we didn't have enough engineers. I think that every project is important for the company and customer service should be at its highest level even for small customers.
View #2.
We received an enquiry to assign an engineer for a customer we don't have a contract with. We only have one available engineer at the moment, and if he is assigned to this small task, in case we get a call from one of our main customers (the ones that are on contract with us), we won't be able to cover their call. It is better to delay an unimportant call that brings ~$100 profit to the company, and wait for more resources available, rather than to risk our relationship with big customers.