Strengthen your workplace
culture through random acts of kindness
The
scientific benefits behind acts of kindness include an increase in energy,
happiness, lifespan, pleasure, serotonin and the love hormone! Likewise, being
kind can also decrease pain, stress, anxiety, depression and blood pressure.
Recently,
we celebrated Mahashivaratri at WeP solutions Bangalore and since it was a
working day and many of us were fasting, HR and Management had arranged for
fruits and refreshments in every floor and was made accessible to all employees
to keep us supporting throughout the fast. I would definitely say that this
made a huge difference and this random act of kindness was appreciated.
This
is a testament that practicing kindness daily should be done without thought or
consideration. So how can we incorporate the practice of kindness within our
daily lives?
Since
the majority of our time is spent working, it is easy to get caught up with
high work priorities– to a point where we lose sight of kindness within the
workplace.
Here
are 10 random acts of kindness that can be practiced within the workplace so
that everyone feels valued:
1) Be a Friend
It’s
natural to form friendships with your peers that can extend beyond the walls of
the office. Now more than ever, the importance of mental health is having a
far-reaching awareness within the workplace. Having a friend at work provides
the opportunity to spot the signs of mental illness and to take action so that
your friends at work don’t feel isolated.
Having
a morning coffee break or going for lunch with your co-workers is a great opportunity
to extend your friendship so that you can provide support, advice and generally
be there for them if they are encountering challenging times.
This
maybe an obvious one but respecting one another’s time at work can make a huge
difference. Being late for meetings can impact the schedules of others –
especially if they have a particularly challenging schedule that day.
If
you are running late for a meeting, be mindful that others are waiting for you.
Consider giving your peers a head’s up that you will be attending the meeting a
few minutes late or rescheduling the meeting entirely.
The
office is a shared environment designed with the needs of employees in mind.
It’s a place where all employees should feel comfortable and productive
throughout the day.
It
doesn’t cost much to wipe the coffee you spilt on the meeting room table or
reload the photocopier with paper or switch off the lights when not in use.
When you think about the efforts you take to maintain your home, why shouldn’t
this extend to your office? By doing so, you’re helping make the lives of
others in your workplace a little bit easier.
4) Share
knowledge
Everyone
has a role to play towards the success of your team, department and the
organization at large. And with that, every individual brings a unique set of
skills, knowledge and expertise that can benefit everyone if it is shared.
The
benefits of working collectively as a team is that it provides the opportunity
to share knowledge or methodologies that may work for you as an individual –
which can also benefit the team as one. Sharing knowledge amongst your peers
can also provide added value on a collective front.
5) Recognize
your peers
Whether
it be the completion of a project or more long-term accolades, your successes
within your professional life would have been achieved through the
contributions and support of your peers.
Practicing
gratitude for your peers towards is an important act of kindness.
6) Embrace
diversity
Every
organization represents a melting pot of individuals from different cultural
backgrounds. This is reflected through the beliefs and values of every single
employee as they execute ideas that move the organization forward.
Embracing
diversity can be practiced through simple acts such as acknowledging religious
holidays, participating in cultural potlucks or even just supporting
organizations meaningful to your peers.
7) Celebrate
personal achievements
Respect
for your co-workers can also extend to celebrating the things within their
personal lives that are important to them. It’s all too easy to forget that
everyone has a life outside of work but sharing and celebrating their personal
accomplishments can have a resounding effect in them feeling respected, valued
and included.
8) Pay a
compliment
In
the words of Joyce Meyer, “It’s very inexpensive to give a compliment”, have
you ever thought about the last time you complimented a co-worker?
Communicating kind words to a co-worker can change their day in an instant –
especially if they are encountering a difficult or challenging day at work.
If
you are aware of a co-worker or team’s upcoming busy day, consider bringing
them a morning coffee or tea to start their day off on a positive note.
This
small act of kindness acknowledges the efforts they put in yet also conveys how
appreciated they are.
10) Smile!
And
finally – don’t forget to smile! It doesn’t cost you anything to exchange a
smile with your peers whether its greeting them first thing in the morning to
exchanging a smile across the floor.
Smiling
is a powerful gesture that can generate positive emotions amongst one another.
Remember to turn the corners of your mouth upwards once in a while – it can
make someone feel better about themselves and create a happier workplace
overall.
While
practicing kindness and acts of kindness should be second nature to everyone,
kindness in the workplace is something that can be easily forgotten or
overlooked. Remember to refer to your organization’s corporate values –
you’ll realize that kindness aligns to all of them.
As
we conclude this article, take a minute to look up from your screen and share a
compliment or a smile with your co-worker sitting opposite you. That wasn’t so
hard was it?
The
scientific benefits behind acts of kindness include an increase in energy,
happiness, lifespan, pleasure, serotonin and the love hormone! Likewise, being
kind can also decrease pain, stress, anxiety, depression and blood pressure.
Recently,
we celebrated Mahashivaratri at WeP solutions Bangalore and since it was a
working day and many of us were fasting, HR and Management had arranged for
fruits and refreshments in every floor and was made accessible to all employees
to keep us supporting throughout the fast. I would definitely say that this
made a huge difference and this random act of kindness was appreciated.
This
is a testament that practicing kindness daily should be done without thought or
consideration. So how can we incorporate the practice of kindness within our
daily lives?
Since
the majority of our time is spent working, it is easy to get caught up with
high work priorities– to a point where we lose sight of kindness within the
workplace.
Here
are 10 random acts of kindness that can be practiced within the workplace so
that everyone feels valued:
1) Be a Friend
It’s
natural to form friendships with your peers that can extend beyond the walls of
the office. Now more than ever, the importance of mental health is having a
far-reaching awareness within the workplace. Having a friend at work provides
the opportunity to spot the signs of mental illness and to take action so that
your friends at work don’t feel isolated.
Having
a morning coffee break or going for lunch with your co-workers is a great opportunity
to extend your friendship so that you can provide support, advice and generally
be there for them if they are encountering challenging times.
2)
Be on Time
This
maybe an obvious one but respecting one another’s time at work can make a huge
difference. Being late for meetings can impact the schedules of others –
especially if they have a particularly challenging schedule that day.
If
you are running late for a meeting, be mindful that others are waiting for you.
Consider giving your peers a head’s up that you will be attending the meeting a
few minutes late or rescheduling the meeting entirely.
3)
Appreciate your work environment (and those that maintain it)
The
office is a shared environment designed with the needs of employees in mind.
It’s a place where all employees should feel comfortable and productive
throughout the day.
It
doesn’t cost much to wipe the coffee you spilt on the meeting room table or
reload the photocopier with paper or switch off the lights when not in use.
When you think about the efforts you take to maintain your home, why shouldn’t
this extend to your office? By doing so, you’re helping make the lives of
others in your workplace a little bit easier.
4) Share
knowledge
Everyone
has a role to play towards the success of your team, department and the
organization at large. And with that, every individual brings a unique set of
skills, knowledge and expertise that can benefit everyone if it is shared.
The
benefits of working collectively as a team is that it provides the opportunity
to share knowledge or methodologies that may work for you as an individual –
which can also benefit the team as one. Sharing knowledge amongst your peers
can also provide added value on a collective front.
5) Recognize
your peers
Whether
it be the completion of a project or more long-term accolades, your successes
within your professional life would have been achieved through the
contributions and support of your peers.
Practicing
gratitude for your peers towards is an important act of kindness.
6) Embrace
diversity
Every
organization represents a melting pot of individuals from different cultural
backgrounds. This is reflected through the beliefs and values of every single
employee as they execute ideas that move the organization forward.
Embracing
diversity can be practiced through simple acts such as acknowledging religious
holidays, participating in cultural potlucks or even just supporting
organizations meaningful to your peers.
7) Celebrate
personal achievements
Respect
for your co-workers can also extend to celebrating the things within their
personal lives that are important to them. It’s all too easy to forget that
everyone has a life outside of work but sharing and celebrating their personal
accomplishments can have a resounding effect in them feeling respected, valued
and included.
8) Pay a
compliment
In
the words of Joyce Meyer, “It’s very inexpensive to give a compliment”, have
you ever thought about the last time you complimented a co-worker?
Communicating kind words to a co-worker can change their day in an instant –
especially if they are encountering a difficult or challenging day at work.
9)
Bring someone a morning coffee or tea
If
you are aware of a co-worker or team’s upcoming busy day, consider bringing
them a morning coffee or tea to start their day off on a positive note.
This
small act of kindness acknowledges the efforts they put in yet also conveys how
appreciated they are.
10) Smile!
And
finally – don’t forget to smile! It doesn’t cost you anything to exchange a
smile with your peers whether its greeting them first thing in the morning to
exchanging a smile across the floor.
Smiling
is a powerful gesture that can generate positive emotions amongst one another.
Remember to turn the corners of your mouth upwards once in a while – it can
make someone feel better about themselves and create a happier workplace
overall.
While
practicing kindness and acts of kindness should be second nature to everyone,
kindness in the workplace is something that can be easily forgotten or
overlooked. Remember to refer to your organization’s corporate values –
you’ll realize that kindness aligns to all of them.
As
we conclude this article, take a minute to look up from your screen and share a
compliment or a smile with your co-worker sitting opposite you. That wasn’t so
hard was it?
Scripted by:-
Nandini Ramesh
Marketing Manager
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