Showing kindness in the workplace

This week marks the start of Random Acts of Kindness Week, with Random Acts of Kindness Day on 17th February.

The importance of showing kindness in the workplace can often be forgotten, especially in times of increased pressure and workloads.

Yet the power of kindness should not be underestimated; it can improve our mental and physical wellbeing, subsequently increasing feelings of appreciation and positivity.

Here at Trickle, we know that kindness is not only beneficial to individuals, but is positive for organisations too.

Kindness promotes both mental and physical wellbeing

Research has shown that performing acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, boosts both the giver and receiver’s mood. One study that analysed the effects of kindness reported that after just seven days of performing or observing kind acts every day, people felt significantly happier. Additionally, the person performing the act of kindness experienced increased levels of confidence, a sense of being in control, increased happiness and greater optimism.

The benefits of kindness can also be physical as it has been found to stimulate the brain to release beneficial chemicals such as serotonin and oxytocin (also known as the love hormone), which do the following:

• Increase serotonin levels (regulates mood)
• Increase happiness
• Ease anxiety
• Reduce blood pressure
• Decrease pain

Being aware of our own acts of kindness can also increase our sense of gratitude, satisfaction and help us to have a more positive attitude.

So what does this mean for the workplace?

Everyone benefits when people show a little more kindness in the workplace.

On a people level, wellbeing boosts that come from performing acts of workplace kindness have been found to increase a sense of belonging and camaraderie among co-workers, which in turn helps increase engagement, empathy resilience. In addition to positively impacting the organisations culture, an organisation may also benefit financially in the form of reduced absenteeism, fewer work errors and increased productivity.

There is no set rule for what workplace kindness looks like. It can be as simple as:

• Offering to make someone a cup of tea or coffee
• Sending a thank you note
• Acknowledging and greeting people in a positive way
• Offering to help a colleague with some tasks
• Checking-in with people to see how they’re doing
• Celebrating wins and hard work

Acts of kindness help strengthen company culture

Company culture is a key part of your organisation’s DNA; it influences employee engagement, wellbeing, retention, productivity and brand reputation.

Your culture sets the tone for your whole team and is a key determining factor in how your people interact with each other and your customers.

Companies with highly rated cultures and strong commitments to employee wellbeing often outperform their competitors, so culture should be actively nurtured on an ongoing basis.

Championing kindness in the workplace will help you to build a more inclusive, empathetic and supportive work environment where people feel psychologically safe enough to bring their whole self to work and contribute fully.

How Trickle can help

Trickle puts people first by providing a safe space to connect people, highlight ideas and give everyone a voice. We believe that change and improvements shouldn’t just be top-down, so the Trickle platform lets organisations put their people first by facilitating employee-led improvements, allowing organisations to understand what really matters most to their people at any moment in time. The Trickle workflow lets organisations make meaningful “in-flight” adjustments with measurable outcomes to make positive, impactful changes and better working days, together.

Trickle can be used to share acts of kindness, spread positivity and promote inclusivity. The Fist Bump feature allows people to show appreciation for their colleagues, offer encouragement or simply say thank you – it’s a quick and easy way to share kindness and boost morale!

The Shout About feature can be used to share good news, praise a team’s progress or post an organisation-wide motivational message, again boosting positivity and feelings of belonging.