Founder and Chief Cultural Officer of Ideal Outcomes, Inc. Author of the new eBook Culture Ignited: Five Disciplines for Adaptive Leadership.
Early one morning at a Starbucks drive-thru, a friend and colleague was about to pay for the two coffees he had ordered when he received a delicious surprise. There is no charge. The woman in the car in front of him had paid for them.
It was a random act of kindness that made him smile. He felt an inordinate joy that someone had made such an undeniable but meaningful gesture. The emotional price of this unforeseen gift far exceeded the $10. 00 price of coffee. My friend did the same thing the next time he used the drive-thru.
And then he learned that he had done something similar a few minutes earlier when he bought a dozen bagels and the young man at the counter had trouble with the device that prints receipts. The employee was visibly embarrassed, so my friend went out of his way to be productive. patient and type (though he was in a hurry) and then overlooked a larger-than-usual tip.
When he told me this story, it got me thinking about how random acts of kindness in the office can especially affect personal and professional performance, and I wondered if there were any studies on the subject. Here’s what I found.
When Americans enjoy an act of kindness, they tend not only to reciprocate but also to pass it on to others. In a business environment, this fosters a culture of giving. A primary review of studies, involving more than 50,000 people and published through the American Psychological Association, found that acts of courtesy, help, and compliments led to increased productivity, efficiency, and decreased turnover rates. When leaders and their groups acted kindly toward each other, they fostered a culture of collaboration and innovation. .
According to a recent study by control consultancy Baringa, “companies that were friends were 35% more likely to have doubled their earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in the decade to 2022. “It surveys more than 6,000 people.
Anya Davis, a partner at Baringa, said: “Doing the right thing is seen as too vague, comfortable or unworthy of unbridled capitalism. These figures turn out to be quite the opposite. If you’re perceived as kind, you’re also more likely to grow faster. “
Baringa’s studies also found that 61% of people refused to buy something because they felt the dealer wasn’t nice.
Within a company, random acts of kindness, ranging from small acts of appreciation to company-wide initiatives, can foster a culture of respect, collaboration, and well-being. So what can be done to implement kindness in the workplace?
Leaders can take the lead by praising people’s paintings, directly to them and in front of a group. Numerous studies conducted by Gallup and others have indicated that being identified in paintings helps the well-being of the painter, thereby reducing burnout and absenteeism.
Encourage team members on Zoom or Teams calls (and in person) to recognize a colleague’s expressed contribution to a particularly meaningful project. It has been shown that praise from peers can have more effect than praise from superiors. Another way to do this is to create a “congratulation board” where painters can post thank-you or praise notes for help or paintings from their colleagues.
Offer unforeseen bonuses as a thank you. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. A gift card or small gift is equally appreciated. Even a handwritten card than an electronic note shows extra effort. You can also arrange a catered lunch or just buy a pizza for everyone. It’s a step further and allows for an unexpected day off or a “flex day” where a painter can choose to work from home or leave the office early.
Have you been reluctant to compliment a worker or colleague because you thought the recipient might feel uncomfortable for some reason?Research shows that it’s not unusual to hold back due to a lack of understanding of how an act of kindness will be received. People need to give more praise than they usually do. Researcher Margaret Echelberger writes, “Our findings show that acting smart is smart, both for those who perform smart actions and for those who directly benefit from those actions. “
My advice: don’t hesitate, congratulate him as soon as you get the chance.
We all (well, most of us) like to communicate about ourselves and what’s going on in our lives. Practice active listening. This means not only asking other people about their health, family, recent move, or hundreds of other things, but also showing that you genuinely listened to their answers by asking follow-up questions. When you show that you care, they are more maximal. probably to do the same with others, selling a corporate culture of kindness.
Kindness might be an intangible asset, hard to quantify, but it can be a great asset in creating a healthy painting environment where Americans thrive and feel comfortable sharing cutting-edge ideas. Random acts of kindness are just smart actions. These are strategic investments in the fitness and functionality of a company and its employees. By cultivating a culture of kindness, companies can create a more engaged, productive, and contented workforce, which can potentially lead to better business outcomes.
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