Fostering a Positive Workplace Culture: Embracing Kindness on World Kindness Day

Written By Nikki Hedstrom

Today is World Kindness Day! So, here at KindCo, we thought we’d share some thoughts on how being kinder to your colleagues (and yourself!) can make for a better workplace:

Why Kindness?

Kindness is at the forefront of everything we do. It’s our number one value, and we believe there’s always room for kindness, be it in the workplace or the wider world. To us, that means putting compassion, empathy and consideration into our words, actions, and connections. Before we take on new clients or projects, we consider the goals and potential impacts. Do our values align? Is it inclusive? Is it sustainable? Is it objectively making the world a kinder place?

 

We strive to instill a kinder and more engaged workplace for our clients. We truly believe that human connection and experience are at the heart of all successful companies. Gallup research suggests that kindness enhances employee engagement, and over the past two decades, this has become an increasingly key factor for an organization’s profitability and productivity. Moreover, PCW’s 2016

CEO Survey found that kindness can increase employee loyalty, improve communication and consequently, strengthen all working relationships.

 

If employees feel connected and engaged with their supervisor, their peers, and their tasks, they are more likely to feel inspired and motivated to work hard and achieve both company and personal goals. In short, if employees feel fulfilled and engaged, they’re more likely to work hard, stay loyal to a company and put their best foot forward.

Practically, what does kindness in the workplace look like? 

Instilling a positive and inclusive work culture:

Company culture impacts every facet of how an organization works. It helps employees feel connected to their coworkers and see the company values put into practice. A survey conducted by Deloitte found a strong correlation between employees who claimed to be happy in work and those that saw a strong company culture. Examples of how to instill a positive work culture include hosting team-building events, weekly happy hours, volunteer days, and opportunities to sign up for relevant workshops or courses.

Building trust and normalizing “bad ideas”:

Companies with a “no such thing as a bad idea” mindset are more inclusive and support others to share and ideate as a team. Of course, some ideas may be better than others, but workplaces should encourage suggestions and critical thinking. If teams are to learn and grow, it is imperative for management to be approachable and supportive. It’s also a helpful exercise in building trust to acknowledge past failures and key learnings. Everyone makes mistakes; what’s most important is to learn and not repeat them.

Encouraging encouragement:

Leadership should set good examples of the culture they wish to see in the company, starting with how they motivate and support their teams to learn and grow. It’s important to encourage employees and teammates to find solutions and give constructive feedback in a kind, considerate way. This is a simple and effective way to help build confidence and encourage solid working methods. If you notice someone at work often asking questions before searching for the answer independently, encourage them to come forth with a possible solution to discuss vs. simply putting it on you to find a solution. The aim is to help others gain confidence and take the initiative to find solutions for themselves.

Listen and collaborate:

Actively listening and collaborating is a great way to help others feel heard and valued. Inviting innovative ideas to the conversation, encouraging questions, and collective brainstorming sessions are all excellent ways to create a collaborative and engaging working environment.

Empathy:

Having the ability to understand how others are feeling is crucial in contributing to a cohesive, positive, and productive work culture. Moreover, Indeed states that in our increasingly diverse and inclusive working world, empathy is more important than ever. Practicing empathy for your team and organization can have several benefits, including improving working relationships and dynamics, team communication, encouraging new perspectives, and, potentially, new forms of creative ideation. Some companies have 1 or 2 personal days available per year for employees should they need to focus on personal matters. This is just one solid example of a business practicing empathy.

Recognize and acknowledge:

Recognition is a powerful way to enable a kind and engaged workplace culture. Words of encouragement or acknowledgement can boost morale and improve an employee’s sense of value. It can also encourage positive language and attitudes in teams - focusing on the positives. An easy, practical example could be weekly team shoutouts: encourage employees to submit weekly team shoutouts for achievements or praise for another colleague. There is a plethora of ways that we can all work to make our workplace kinder, more positive and uplifting. Most of us spend more time at work with our colleagues than we do at home with our loved ones; therefore, it’s more important than ever to consider ways in which we can actively make our workplace more engaging and positive. In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

Nikki Hedstrom from KindCo is a Brand Engagement Specialist with over 15 years of experience in the events space.

About KindCo

KindCo is a Vancouver-based brand engagement consultancy that specializes in employee engagement and corporate events. We bring people together through the art of gathering.

Founder, Nikki Hedstrom, has over 15 years experience as a brand engagement and event specialist.

Nikki Hedstrom

President & Founder of KindCo.

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