Soon it will be Thanksgiving. Articles and blog posts
will fill up with the things we’re thankful for. Usually the things that get
mentioned are big things. Usually they are things that we’re thankful for, not
things we do that can make other people’s lives better.

This is a list of small things you can do that make life better for others.

Don’t waste their time. Coming late to meetings and asking people to wait
while you answer an email that’s not urgent are nothing more than cheap power
trips. Show that you respect others by respecting their time.

Listen when people talk to you. Don’t think about what to have for lunch.
Don’t use the time to prepare a response. Just listen. You’ll learn a lot. And
you’ll demonstrate that you care about other people and their ideas and
feelings.

Say “Good job.” Say it a lot. Tell people why you say it.

Thank people. Thank them for performance and for effort. Thank them for
caring.

Use the following magic phrases to improve the quality of life around you.

“How is your …”

“Are you OK?”

“How can I help?”

Boss’s Bottom Line

It’s the little things, the simple things, the human things that do the most
to make life better. They have a cumulative effect.