as seen in the MHIR DEI weekly email

from Harvard Business Review

Why Kindness at Work Pays Off

by Andrew Swinand

Summary.   

Whether you’re just entering the workforce, starting a new job, or transitioning into people management, kindness can be a valuable attribute that speaks volumes about your character, commitment, and long-term value. Here are a few simple routines you can integrate into your everyday work life that will spread kindness and help create a culture of kindness at your organization.

• Practice radical self-care. The best way to be a valuable, thoughtful team member is to be disciplined about your own wellness — your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
• Do your job. Start with the basics by showing up on time and doing your job to the best of your ability. This is where your self-care practice comes into play — you can’t do your best work without taking care of yourself first.
• Reach out to others with intention. Make plans to meet virtually or, even better, in person with your colleagues. Ask about their pets, their recent move, or their family. Most importantly, practice active listening.
• Recognize and acknowledge people. Authentic, thoughtful interactions show that you’re thinking about the other person and reflecting on their unique attributes and value, which can cement social connections.
• Be conscientious with your feedback. Being kind means offering feedback for the betterment of the person receiving it and the overall success of your company.

When anxiety is high and morale is low, kindness isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. With mass layoffs, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions, kindness is needed now more than ever, especially at work.

Research suggests that kindness yields positive outcomes for businesses. If you’re an emerging leader, being kind to your employees can help you retain top talent, establish a thriving culture, increase employee engagement, and enhance productivity. When people receive a compliment or words of recognition, it helps them feel more fulfilled, boosts their self-esteem, improves their self-evaluations, and triggers positive emotions. The result: happier, more engaged employees.

At an individual level, when you engage in acts of kindness, it boosts serotonin and dopamine — neurotransmitters in the brain that promote feelings of satisfaction and well-being. It also releases endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers.

Decades of research support it: Kindness is good for everyone.

How to Be Kinder at Work

Whether you’re just entering the workforce, starting a new job, or transitioning into people management, kindness can be a valuable attribute that speaks volumes about your character, commitment, and long-term value. What’s more, when you show kindness, your goodwill will encourage the same in others within your organization. Here are a few simple routines you can integrate into your everyday work life that will spread kindness and help create a culture of kindness at your organization.

Practice radical self-care.

It can be challenging to remember that being kind to others must begin with being kind to ourselves.  You may believe that self-care is an indulgent practice — but it’s not. When your well-being suffers, so does your performance at work. If you burn out and have nothing left to contribute, it may also impact those around you. The best way to be a valuable, thoughtful team member is to be disciplined about your own wellness — your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

A starting point for practicing self-care at work is understanding and managing your workload so that both you and your manager have a clear sense of your priorities. This can help you set boundaries when needed. Perhaps this looks like not responding to non-urgent emails outside of traditional work hours or asking your manager to help you organize your to-do list so that you’re focusing on the most important tasks (rather than everything at once). Maybe, it’s taking a sick or mental health day to recharge. Taking time for yourself before you’re depleted is essential to self-care and to your ability to show kindness to others.

Do your job.

What happens when you routinely arrive late or fail to complete tasks integral to your position? Typically, others will have to take on the work you failed to complete, leading to anxiety, stress, or frustration for everyone. So, start with the basics by showing up on time and doing your job to the best of your ability. This is where your self-care practice comes into play — you can’t do your best work without taking care of yourself first.

It’s also important to find ways to hold yourself accountable. Try setting micro-goals for yourself daily to make progress towards your larger goals. These are small, specific objectives that act as stepping stones, propelling you closer to the finish line. You can use daily lists to track your progress and also solicit feedback from your manager and colleagues on how they view your contributions.

Another tip is to conduct self-reviews when you complete a major task. Think about how the task went, identify areas for improvement, and determine how you can approach them differently in future. With these tools, you can organize your workload into more manageable chunks, which may free up time for you to share kindness by lending a hand to those around you. When you see a colleague struggling (and your workload is comparatively light), offer to help, even if the task is outside your normal scope of work. The smallest favors can foster a sense of team camaraderie and support, helping build that culture of kindness.

Reach out with intention.

With remote work, social connections don’t always occur as organically as they used to. So, we must be intentional about establishing and sustaining them. Make plans to meet virtually or, even better, in person with your colleagues. Ask about their pets, their recent move, or their family. Most importantly, practice active listening. Showing someone that you genuinely care about what they have to say is an impactful display of kindness. You can do this by repeating back what they say to you in your own words to make sure you understand their message, or by asking thoughtful follow up questions. When someone is shown that care, they’re more likely to give it to others, further fostering a culture of kindness.

In addition to getting to know your colleagues better, connecting with them on a deeper level is also a way to learn about their challenges and pain points. This will give you insights into how they’re feeling in and outside of work, what motivates them, and how you can help build up their confidence.

Recognize and acknowledge people.

When your team members witness you actively engaging, showing genuine interest in their lives, and encouraging their potential, you foster a sense of care and empathy that can help personify kindness in the workplace. Authentic, thoughtful interactions show that you’re thinking about that person and reflecting on their unique attributes and value, which can cement social connections. The result is a positive and uplifting environment, enabling a culture of kindness to thrive.

Start by giving authentic praise to your colleagues — which is a powerful way to let people know you appreciate them and their work. One way to do this is by focusing on a person’s recent accomplishments that have genuinely impressed you. Something as simple as “You aced that presentation in today’s meeting” could change the trajectory of someone’s entire day. Research backs this up. The brain processes verbal affirmations similarly to financial rewards and praise and gratitude make people feel valued and increase their morale.

Be conscientious with your feedback.

When you know your teammates more deeply, you can also better understand how to offer them honest, constructive feedback. While many may conflate “kindness” and “niceness,” they can be very different. Niceness tends to border on people-pleasing and can be disingenuous, while kindness is honest yet sensitive to other people’s experiences. Being kind means offering feedback for the betterment of the person receiving it and the overall success of your company. You’re seeking to build someone up.

Next time you’re asked for your opinion on someone’s work, be honest, but focus on both the positive aspects and what you think could be improved. Start with what you like about their work and what works well, then transition to any areas you think could use more work. Practice framing these seemingly negative pieces of feedback in a positive light: “This part of your presentation fell a bit flat for me because (explain your reasoning). I think it would be stronger if you used it as an opportunity to (make a suggestion for improvement),” or, “I think you have so much potential to develop your skills and be a leader in (this area).” Every piece of feedback can reinforce your belief in someone’s abilities, even if the feedback is critical. Showing that you care about your coworker’s betterment is kind.

Kindness, although an intangible asset and challenging to quantify, holds immense importance in shaping the dynamics of your team and your organization. Creating a culture that fosters kindness allows individuals to not only produce innovative ideas but also feel secure enough to express and share them.