Kindness in the Workplace
I’ve been doing some reading lately on employee engagement and organizational culture and one of the common themes in the literature around improving engagement centers around kindness. Research by social scientists, business school professors and other experts on compassion all argue more kindness will improve employee engagement.
Kindness is generally defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. When one considers these traits, it seems obvious that these are “ways of being” that should be inherent in our workplace. However, this is not the always the case.
In our fast-paced world, it is often easy to get caught up with day-to-day tasks and forget to “look up” and engage with others. Yet, the literature tells us, that by being kind we see a healthier workplace, less sick time, lower staff turnover and higher productivity. Simple acts of kindness in the workplace can go a long way and can lead to a happier workforce, better ideas and an improved culture.
If we all were to take a kinder approach in our day to day conversations and interactions, there are a number of positive outcomes that could be achieved:
- Kindness can lead to a more positive workplace. Positive employees and leaders build teams and places where people want to work and create something employees want to be a part of.
- Kindness “feels good” and can be contagious. One act of kindness can start a ripple effect as others embrace the positivity produced and share kindness themselves.
- Kindness can increase productivity – research has shown that acts of kindness will have profound implications on the level of energy, emotional engagement and performance of teams.
- Kindness can bring stability to the workplace. A kinder workplace means treating the wellbeing of employees as a key part of productivity and sustainability.
There are many ways, large and small, to demonstrate kindness in the workplace. Kindness can begin with a smile, saying “thank you” in person, holding the door open for the person behind you and asking someone how they are and really listening to their answer. As the Dalai Lama once said “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible”. Meaningful acts of kindness will shift attitudes and will lead to more engaged and connected team members.
As always, I welcome any ideas or suggestions you may have. Please send them to me at nancy.hughes@bethanyseniors.com.
Regards,
— Nancy
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