A very good friend of mine mentioned that her supervisor Christos would be a great person to interview on Kindness and Business. Hence, “The Human Kind” series is fortunate to interview Christos Pishias, Founder and CEO of ROI Operations.

Three things Christos is about?

“Family: with an amazing wife and four beautifully crazy sons family is a big part of my life. A constant source of small kind moments such as a smile from a little one or a cheeky remark often act as great reminders on what matters most in my life!”

“Nature: I am lucky to live in Cyprus in the countryside. Winter or summer, the sea, hills and our plot of olive, pomegranates, fig, lemon and other trees are big parts of our lives and a source of everyday happiness. Nature (and in my case, particularly the sea) is a constant source of both energy and relaxation“

“Work: early in my career I decided to focus on “social good” projects because it is great to see a positive social impact from work – from implementing Human Rights in mental health hospitals and reducing waiting times in A&E departments to working with learning disabilities charities and transforming a “social good” marketing agency, it has been a great learning journey since 2001“

Have you ever experienced an act of kindness that had a life-changing impact on your life? 

“Every day we experience life-changing acts of kindness as long as we keep ourselves open to them. As far as major acts go, being the child of war refugees who in 1974 lost their home and had to start their life from scratch influenced my outlook on life. Rather than hate, they taught us tolerance, forgiveness and hope. I will never forget recently my dad visiting the ruins of the home he had to flee from to fight in the war in the occupied area of Cyprus and finishing the visit chatting over a coffee with another man from “the other side” who lost a loved one during that same war. The simple image of the two of them, from opposing sides of the conflict, sitting and talking on a table and sharing their war experiences is for me the greatest example of the power of tolerance over hatred”

What is your view on Kindness in the workplace?

“Kindness for me is a fundamental part of being Human. That part that allows us to do great things for others in need and allows others, to help us when we are in need. Therefore and as we spend a considerable amount of our lives in our places of work, the manifestation of kindness in our day-day work is what makes workplaces positive environments to be in and what allows us to get the most out of human relationships at work”

Kindness can also be seen in our daily habits – a force that moves our lives forward. What daily habits help you achieve higher levels of productivity and wellbeing? 

“In my work calendar/diary (pen and paper!) I start the day writing down the things I am thankful for, however big or small. Also, daily exercise outdoors massively helps!”