Ten years ago “corporate culture” was a buzz phrase. Today, it is fundamental to creating and maintaining a thriving organization. The reason for this shift is that employee expectations have changed dramatically in a relatively short amount of time. People want work-life balance. People want the tools to do their jobs and room to succeed by trying new things and new ideas. They want a voice and a meaningful impact on the company and its direction. People want to be excited to come to work and take ownership of their responsibilities. Creating a workplace culture that can meet those expectations is a challenge for every employer, who must also strategize for the uncertainty of changing business models, increase in workforce diversity and a flood of technology. For the most part, proactive organizations responded well. Workplace culture has changed significantly and employees have had many of their expectations met.
However, even in an ideal corporate culture, in the drive to dominate the market, people can become insensitive to the feelings and needs of others. People move so quickly it is difficult to know what kindness looks like, or remember to use it. This is especially true when bright diverse, highly skilled individuals with different personalities, backgrounds, and work styles collaborate in complex demanding work environments. They are bound to be under pressure. They are bound to have differences on an intellectual and emotional level. When people do not pause long enough to consider it, they often consciously or unconsciously offend, disrespect or hurt coworkers by gestures, tone of voice, silence, eye contact and countless other verbal and non-verbal signals. Indifference or thoughtlessness also happen when coworkers become distracted by their devices
Workplace stress is a problem for many people. Negative vibes add to the stress which can bring discord to any work environment. How you approach kindness and mindfulness in the workplace can reduce the stress and bring people together.
Kindness is not something that should be reserved just for friends and family; it should extend to our colleagues and work family. In the workplace kindess is a catalyst that helps to build trust, drives morale, engagement, cohesiveness, productiveness and job satisfaction. Kindness is good for the well-being of everyone.
If you are in a Leadership Role
If you are in a leadership role, when indifference and thoughtless behaviours are left to worsen, teamwork dissipates, productivity suffers, employee turnover escalates, and the bottom line suffers. People are unlikely to feel engaged with, or go the extra mile for, an organisation they feel is not invested in them or their wellbeing.
Research shows that disengaged workers have:
However, science indicates that when leaders encourage compassion, gratitude, and positivity throughout the day, it reduces stress in the workplace. Simple, everyday gestures of appreciation in the workplace were proven to work magic in bringing teams closer, lift employee morale, and improve overall productivity. Going even further, one University study showed that doubling the number of employees who receive regular and adequate recognition has a snowball effect. Something as simple as a genuinely warm good morning, saying thank you more often, or sharing a compliment makes the giver and receiver happier and gives them both a boost of energy.
On a Personal Level
On a personal level, a workplace with negative vibes is simply not happy place to be. Since we spend so many hours a day at work with our coworkers, wouldn’t you rather be with people who are cheerful rather than gloomy. The way we act can have a huge impact on the spirit of our coworkers and our work relationship. Being kind to and mindful of our coworkers boosts our own happiness at work. It only makes sense that we should want to take the time to consider someone else’s thoughts and feelings before we ‘act’.
There are several reasons and rewards for everyone to be kind to others, but none more impressive than this:
Studies at Harvard show that people pay it forward by nearly 270% – proving that kindness is, in fact, contagious.
Engaging in simple acts of kindness should not be a daunting task or punishment. Kindness, compassion, and gratitude are character strengths that relate to life satisfaction. They are human strengths that are valued by all cultures across all situations even in the absence of other strengths or virtues. There are two wise sayings:
If you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up.
Acts of kindness and compassion brings good Karma.
To nurture a dynamic work culture, team spirit and good camaraderie make kindness the norm. Kindness and mindfulness refer to actions intended to benefit others. Creating a culture of kindness does not take a big budget or a planning committee. Even the smallest of things matter.
One of the best ways to boost kindness in your organization is to recognize and compliment kindness when you see it among others in the workplace. Remember kindness is good for both the giver and the receiver and above all kindness is contagious:
Authentic recognition is important for people to hear from their boss and from their colleagues.
Caution: Faking it does not work. Sincere kindness is itself a reward, and people are quick to see through fake kindness. So, feel it and mean it.
Be intentional. Being intentional is about bringing a commitment, focus and attention to something that is really important to you. Decide why being kind to others is important to you as a person and then set out to do meaningful things. Decide why being kind to other is important to your organization , and lead by example.
We encounter daily opportunities to be kind or offer our assistance without realizing it.
As a small business owner
you should assess whether you are sourcing enough good ideas from outside your
immediate think group. The more ideas generated, the greater the chance of
finding innovative ways to combine them into something new.
Inspiration can strike when you least expect it, but that is rather an inefficient way to drive innovation and creativity. Want a do-it-yourself approach to decision-making and problem solving? Try one of these brainstorming techniques to develop your ideas.
Professionalism is what you do visibly that impresses and inspires others and what you do behind the scenes – integrity, self-regulation, conscientiousness – that allows you to fulfill your role to the best of your ability and gives you a sense of satisfaction and self-worth.
When you are overworked and under pressure, try these two super easy-to-implement strategies to fend off procrastination. They can be completed quickly and more importantly they work best to set the tone for an excellent day.
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As a professional, you want to get the job done – and done well. You do what is necessary to produce results that exceed expectations. You recognize whatever you do to keep advancing personally and professionally also helps your business to thrive.
