30 December, 2021
The importance of kindness in the workplace
“An act of kindness, however small, is never wasted.”
A simple gesture of warmth and goodwill is by far the most underrated means of creating a well-functioning workplace. Employee engagement has rightly become a complex endeavor in leading organizations. However, it is useful to remember why it all began in the first place- to help human beings feel cared for, valued and feel like they belong. In other words, even the best made management plans can fail if robbed of kindness. This applies to dealings with customers, employees or channel partners.
Traditional management theories have hardwired the importance of short-term productivity over human well-being which has shown to damage the fabric of the best, most talented teams. Emotions tend to figure often in people management, which may result in undue criticism, miscommunication or even bias and apathy. The missing ingredient to create a “balancing act” and uplift employee wellness is kindness. This blog will touch upon some essential ways to foster kindness within any organizational culture.
Timely appreciation and recognition
One of the key manifestations of kindness is appreciation and recognition. In workplaces where recognition and timely appreciation become the norm, a ripple effect is generated. Research shows that when people receive an act of kindness, they pay it back, and not just to the same person, but often to someone entirely new. Offering an adequate avenue, such as a tailor-made rewards and recognition platform with a concentric focus on employee engagement can enable spur-of-the-moment instant recognitions, easy reward redemption, celebratory greetings for birthdays or anniversaries, and monetary as well as non-monetary rewards. This strategy can go a long way to bolster a kind and supportive workforce.
Empathetic leadership
As Bill Gates rightly said “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Compassionate listening, consistent reassurance, and a conscious effort to validate employees is indispensable to good leadership. An employee R&R platform can assist in creating pulse surveys and capturing employee sentiment, helping top management understand employee voice better. Virtual Q&A sessions, broadcast messages and kudos from senior management are some of the key features that can be leveraged to foster kindness in leadership.
Peer bonding
Peer bonding is fundamental to a kind workplace, as research has identified a “Helper’s High” that people experienced when they volunteered due to the release of dopamine in their brains. This emotional upliftment can be boosted through an R&R program that rewards acts of kindness and facilitates peer-to-peer recognition. Studies have shown that peer recognition is much more valued by employees compared to manager recognition, as peers in the same team are closely in touch with what they do day in and day out.
Kindness- It costs nothing, but means everything!
Kindness is an attribute that needs to be consciously cultivated in the cultural ecosystem of the organization, as evidence shows that it creates a positive ripple effect. Employees need to experience kindness in the workplace to deliver their best performance, especially in times of crisis, be it a personal or a global upheaval. A digital employee engagement platform can go a long way in propagating acts of kindness across organizational silos.
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