RAOBK? Random Acts of Business Kindness

This week I made a Random Act Of Kindness (RAOK) video for one of the concepts I do marketing for, Café Metro. The vibe was awesome! The feeling of getting out there and doing random acts of kindness on a 12 degree morning were appreciated by all. We gave out gift cards, free lunch cards and smiley face buttons. Awesome right?

But what happens when the video camera is turned off and the video has been edited and uploaded to YouTube for the whole world to marvel at? Well, that is up to the business that created the video to promote RAOK, isn’t it?

You see, its one thing to film the video but it must be a part of the culture of the business to live up to and maintain its message. It must be practiced constantly and done on a regular basis to be effective and have true meaning. It’s like romance. Even though the embers fade a bit, the fire must be fanned to grow again and rebuild the excitement that should always there. It just gets suppressed at times.

So, I encourage businesses to do a RAOK program. And it doesn’t have to be something your shooting for YouTube to say “Look! We Get “IT”! Look how clever we are!” It must be stealth actions that is second nature and coming from the heart and soul.

True RAOK goes anonymous.

Yes, I did a video, yes I was starring in it. But it’s not about ME. It’s not about a COMPANY. It’s about the lesson of what we, you, CAN do! Some may ask what the ROI on such a thing is on utilizing RAOK as an outreach and to that I saw, “WHAT ARE YA KIDDING ME!?” What was the ROI on the young man standing in front of the tank in Beijing? What was the ROI of Mother Theresa’s work? It was from passion. It was from the selfless act bag of tricks. And if you must place a value on it, it may be hundreds of YouTube hits for you and your customers typing “Aww, loved this” in the comment box.

You can be the change. You as leaders of your companies can make a difference. But don’t be afraid to do so. Kindness is like a flower. If we let it bloom the air will be perfumed with warm smiles, gentler words and great confidence. You will be astonished at the garden you helped build.

And So It Goes…