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An author and motivational speaker hopes his new book will help shine a light on acts of kindness - no matter how big or small.
Called “Tiny Noticeable Things: The secret weapon to making a difference in business” and written by Adrian Webster, of Ashford Road, Bearsted, it focuses on small acts that make significant differences to peoples’ lives.
Among the gestures mentioned is the tale of June Willis, from Invicta Court in Gidds Pond Way, whose black and white wedding photos taken more than 60 years ago were transformed into colour thanks to an act of kindness by a member of staff, Becky Lyons.
"The title of the book is Tiny Noticeable Things. They are what I call TNTs,” said the 62-year-old.
“TNTs are all the little things that we do that are explosive. They make a very big difference.
“So TNTs are tiny, often overlooked, but they often make a huge difference and they can have a seismic impact on people.
“They can give people a lift. Quite often, those people don’t even know that they needed a lift.”
Mr Webster is a former riot police officer who worked in St Pauls, Bristol, and is a patron of Maidstone’s Five Acre Wood School.
He said: “TNTs are the difference between a four-star or a five-star customer experience, the difference between a manager and a leader in the workplace, and they are the difference between a team that is floundering and a team that is flying.
“In everyday life, in peoples’ personal lives, they are the things that really touch other peoples’ hearts.
“They are the things we do when we go that extra little step for people. Some of them are absolutely tiny.
“It can be as small as remembering someone’s first name. It can be a handwritten note in the world of emails and text messages. These little, tiny things can make such a huge difference.”
"TNTs are tiny, often overlooked, but they often make a huge difference..."
Mr Webster, who moved to Bearsted 19 years ago, explained where the idea for the book first came from, having first used “TNTs” when he worked in the ICT industry.
He said: “I was talking to my niece, Lisa, about TNTs. She said ‘You should write a book about them’. So I asked people for their TNT stories.
“The book is very much about other peoples’ experiences. There are more than 100 TNT stories from people who have contacted me.”
Among the moments discussed in the book involved a fish and chip shop, Marino Fish Bar in Bearsted, near Mr Webster's house. In the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, they installed an umbrella stand with umbrellas for those who had to queue outside within minutes of it starting to rain.
An elderly couple, who had previously liked a fish and chip lunch when they did their shopping, were delivered a “Fish supper” when a delivery driver brought their shopping and a lady who paid for a coffee for the person in front of them at a Starbucks in Florida, sparking an 11-hour pay-it-forward chain in 2014!
Mr Webster says he is inspired by these gestures from everyday people which make an extraordinary overall impact.
With Mr Webster having released his book last month, he says a second “Tiny Noticeable Things” book has already been discussed.
“People have started contacted me already with their TNTs. There is talk of a ‘TNTs 2’ book,” he said.
“I'm hoping - by me shining a light on them - people become more aware of them and get in touch with all their ones.
“To some people, they seem pretty insignificant. But they all make a difference to someone.
“I’m hoping a TNTs 2 book will emerge. The feedback at the moment is just brilliant.
“I don’t know if it is the timing or what, but it just seems to have really hit the spot with people.”
Mr Webster’s book has been published by book publisher Wiley and is available from several book stores, including Amazon.
