The Kindnesses We Show Each Other

This week I set out to notice the kindnesses that we show each other, here within the wine world.

There is, it turns out, no shortage of them. That may be because the wine industry is a small and inter-connected place where, as Beck points out, six degrees of separation can become two pretty quickly. Kindnesses we show each other are one way to make that closeness more comfortable.

Once I started looking for them, I recognized two patterns in particular to these kindnesses in wine.

So many expressions of kindness begin with one person saying, “Let me see if I can… 

And, almost every expression of kindness involves linking one relationship to another.

Here are eight examples I observed this week alone that show you what I mean. They’re things I’ve heard colleagues and friends say to each other or to me.

1.     “Let me see if I can put you in touch with her. I think she can help.”

2.     “We’re both going to be at Wine Paris next week, and my friend is teaching a yoga class on Sunday evening. Would you like to join us?”

3.     “You made me feel like I was the only other person in the room. Thank you for that.”

4.     “No worries about running late for our meeting. It gave me a few extra minutes to catch up on emails.”

5.     “Now that I know that’s what you want, I’ll keep my ears open for those opportunities for you.”

6.     “I think something’s fallen between the cracks here. Let me see if I can understand where things started to go wrong.”

7.     “Let me see if I can take a first pass at our presentation. You’ve got your hands full this week, and hopefully getting a running start will make it easier to fill in your part.”

8.     “I think that idea is worth another conversation. Let me see if I can get the right people in the room.” 

Sidebar: I like the “let me see” examples in particular because that language expresses a curiosity on the part of the giver of kindness. It isn’t a question of certainty or I-know-best. It’s a matter of I-wonder. There’s a gentle but significant difference tucked inside those words. 

Curiosity. Relationships. Kindness. They’re all around us.

The common thread is a sense of generosity, both on the part of the person extending the kindness and on the part of the person who’s willing to receive it, mindful of a willingness to cycle it back into our relational ecosystem. 

If we dig into this a bit further, we’d soon find research that points toward the benefits of kindness at work: it can improve job performance, lengthen employee tenure, and reduce sick leave. On the flip side, professionals who demonstrate un-kindness seed relationships that aren’t loyal or engaged, which can lead to a culture of backstabbing and distrust.

That’s plenty of reason to shift kindness to front-of-mind. Proactively delivering kindness, that is, and also noticing when we see it in others.

What kindnesses have you noticed lately, that we’ve shown each other within the wine world? Please share. We’d love to hear.

Namaste,

Cathy

What We're Reading: 

There's no shortage of wine stories and media inundating our IN Boxes. Here's what has piqued our interest this week.

The Surprising Reason Mindfulness Makes You Happier – PsychologyToday.com

“Experiencing positive feelings can improve our health and quality of life. However, positive emotions are difficult to change because almost half of our happiness seems to be a function of genetic factors.”

7 Things Mindful Families Do Differently – Mindful.org

Busy schedules, digital devices, long commutes—all of this leads to families who are disconnected from each other as never before. Here are 7 ways mindfulness can strengthen your relationships, increase your well-being, and bring the family back together.

Meet the Community!

Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.

David LeMire MW, Head of Sales and Marketing, Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle Vineyard (Australia)

 Years In Industry:

I’ve spent more than 20 years in the wine business – initially in retail and distribution, and then importing, with some education – primarily helping to run seminars for Master of Wine students. Plenty of wine show judging, a partnership in Mother Vine Wine Bar in Adelaide, and writing. Writing is hard to fit in, but it is something that gives me joy and energy,

My Biggest Challenge To Wellness: 

My strong desire to eat and drink well and the urge to do it too often. A pretty common problem I guess. What I’ve noticed lately is the impact of alcohol on my sleep, and sleep is so important. The travel also can screw up my sleep, with early and late flights, and multiple hotels.

The Meursault addiction. I love good wine, and I never want to lose that wonder, that excitement of finding something that’s delicious and thought provoking and that connects me with the people and the place and the vintage. It’s a special kind of magic and I don’t want to lose that. Also, there’s potential for work to be a refuge, and to be a workaholic, and ignore other important aspects of life.

In recent years I’ve become more focused on managing a team, rather than doing my own thing, and that gives me more perspective about the need to keep things in balance.  I’ve become more conscious of not just my potential to lose balance and suffer health issues and burn out, but I also see that potential for those issues in our team members. For all of us our physical and mental health and wellbeing is connected to our performance, our happiness, and our relationships with each other. 

How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:  

Sleep is a big priority, especially when traveling, but all the time, really. So making sleep a priority is one aspect. The other, for me, is being conscious of the things that I know help my headspace.  And the goal, for me, is to run, read, and write in my journal on most days. Because of a schedule that is unpredictable, I can’t do all three every day, but I can do them all most days. Meditation and yoga are also part of the mix for me. But the run, read, and write work well for me, taking me away from the inbox and phone, and clearing my head. I do especially love a 20km trail run, and we are so lucky in Adelaide to have the hills on our doorstep, with beautiful trails and wildlife (only a few snakes) and mostly great weather.

You can connect with David on Instagram at @dlemiremw or at shawandsmith.com

Let’s Meet Up!

The wine world is truly global and we hope to see you at these industry events and gatherings!

ABG Events and Presenter Activities:
Wonder Women of Wine , Mar 28 - 29, Austin TX

• Panelist “Health & Wellness” Panel (Beck)

--
Industry Event Travel:
Wine Paris Feb 10 – 12, Paris FR (Cathy)
B.E.V. NY Conference Feb 26, Rochester NY (Cathy)
Wine Marketing & Tourism Conference March 3-5, Eugene, Oregon (Cathy)
ProWein March 15 – 17, Düsseldorf GE (Cathy)
Bologna Business School April 7 – 9, Bologna IT (Cathy)
Vinitaly April 19 -22, Verona IT (Beck)
Future Wine Expo May 12 - 13, Santa Rosa CA (Cathy)

Drop a line to rebecca@abalancedglass.com or cathy@enolytics.com if you are interested in getting together for practice, a chat or a great glass together.