Adam Garcia recently held a workshop at Portland State University and on the whiteboard he wrote several things about how future designers should work.

Some choice selects that caught my eye were “Don’t be a dick” and “Be nice” along with others in relation to process, research, and ways of knowing.

It inspired me to write this post not only to future designers but anyone working anywhere, in any industry. I defer to a quote, from a very famous comedian on a famous night in his career that changed how we see late night television:

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“To all the people watching, I can never, ever thank you enough for the kindness to me, I’ll think about it for the rest of my life.

And all I ask is one thing, please do not be cynical.

I hate cynicism, for the record it’s my least favorite quality, it doesn’t lead anywhere.

Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.

I’m telling you, amazing things will happen. It’s just true.”

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That man was Conan O’brien in a speech that left me stunned & humbled, not only for its amazing message…but that on network television, America was exposed to a message that has been passed down through generations from the mouth of a comedian that was poignant and ever so meaningful. This is how our grandparents worked. This is what their parents instilled in them. And it is a universal truth to all industries that is simple, honored, and timeless.

Be kind, and work hard. Or as the ubiquitous poster reads WORK HARD & BE NICE.

Here is what this means, in a variety of ways, but particularly in the field of creativity and design.

1. Your wealth is determined

by your relationships

50% of design is relationship.
No, that’s a lie. It’s more. Maybe much more. This means your neighbors, sisters, not-so-close friends, barbers, chefs, old bosses, heroes & archenemies are all your wealth. How do you treat your wealth? Do you protect it in a safe place that is tended and nurtured? Or do you wield it recklessly like a disposable tool.

Relationships are interesting organisms. They fade naturally, they grow exponentially, they are even unpredictable, just like us. But what is predictable is if you damage them, they change.

In work, relationships are as important as the work. Do not think that good work will replace your need for relationship. It will not. If you damage important relationships in your work, you have damaged your work. You may have no money in your bank account, living paycheck to paycheck, or maybe even borrowing from the future to pay for the past. But if you have strong relationships built on trust, dignity, and respect, you are wealthy. Your relationships are your savings accounts. Protect, nourish, and enrich them! Perhaps it’s time to say out-loud “My relationships are my wealth.”

2. Be kind

We may not all be outgoing, even fewer are bubbly. And that’s a blessing because our differences are fantastic. But what we can all be is kind.

Kindness is an interesting thing, being such a simple idea. But what it infers is where the true value of kindness is revealed. Kindness infers respect, mutual understanding, and dignity. Couple kindness with even a modest amount of talent and you are immediately employable. Kindness says something about your character; that you are interested in being treated with respect because you are acting in the realm of respect. It’s easy to accidentally step out of the realm of respect, but a kind person can jump right back in and get back to being a rad human in no time.

Once one has accidentally (or emotionally) stepped out of the realm of respect or kindness, and follows it up with further undignified or disrespectful behavior, it is more difficult to work. Magically, work will flee you.

Whatever your mother taught you about kindness, apply to work. It will be noticed, and get you more work. I believe this is where Mr. Adam Garcia would interject “Don’t be a dick,” and Mr. Conan O’brien would say “It’s just true.”

3. Sell your abilities, not your ego

There are seasons when you need to be sharky. Sharing your resumé or networking your black little heart out as authentically as you can to find the right place to work or land a client. I like to refer to this period as Shark Week. It usually lasts longer than a week.

It’s a delicate balance where you’ve got to talk about what you can do, but try not to sound like your ego is enormous. If you’re a young gun with the ability to wrap the internet around your pinky finger at will, then your ego should be even more in the backseat. Other people will tell your story for you, but if you consistently let your mouth tell others how awesome you are, you’re gonna get bad work. Making others who are less bad-ass than you feel like it’s an honor to be in your presence will also lead to your work demise.

Be kind, control that ego sweetheart. It’s kindof like a slug. Neat, but mostly slimy.

4. Say goodbye with a smile!

Most things are temporary. Especially in the field of design, work is rarely long-term. Which means we must be great, no, excellent at saying goodbye. Because not only is the work temporary, so is the goodbye. People will come back to you and all of a sudden you are saying hello again!

How you say your goodbye’s reflects your character. Actually, Jelly Helm is famous for saying “Everything you do reflects your character” — but more so when you say goodbye. The job may be over, the client may not be right, you may have been fired, laid-off, down-sized, cast-out unfairly with lousy terms, given the finger, let go quietly, or any list of shady circumstances that warrant a mouth off and a slammed door, but I urge you, do not. In the event of a valid expression of emotion, it is possible to express yourself while staying in the realm of respect and kindness, however!

Pull yourself together, holster those guns, and let your character shine. Usually the goodbye is an anxious event, and generally short-lived. Take these auspicious moments to leave an impression that will not be forgotten. Guys, gentleman up, ladies, charm their faces off. Even the worst most in-human boss will remember your goodbye. If it’s the end of a business partnership and you decide to say goodbye with legal notices and a quick fire over email, your work will suffer. This is true in New York City, Portland, Shanghai, or Abu Dhabi.

Let’s not forget that the work we do is made up of humans.

Treat a human like a human instead of a business transaction and you will be a magnet for good work. And compensation.

Often these 4 skills come naturally to people. Because these 4 skills are universal and timeless, they will always hold true no matter where you are. The other universal truth is to work hard. Most people understand that to be noticed or respected you must work hard. But coupling hard work with kindness, dignity, and respect will get you more than noticed, it will get you what you want. Apply these skills towards your passion and your work/play dividing line will blur in a matter of months.

In a nod to Garrison Keillor:

Be well (and kind!), do good work, and keep in touch.