17th February is Random Acts of Kindness Day…

Now, we know that not every day is positive… there are good days and bad. A lot of work goes into creating a positive and productive workplace. Creating a happier team with a positive attitude and goodwill towards those you work with will also encourage job satisfaction, engagement, productivity and a general positive workplace culture.

Here are 5 of our top tips to show kindness within your workplace;

1) Recognise your work colleagues
If your co-worker has done a great job within a project, task or within their daily duties, consider how you can recognise them for it. Praise and effort goes a long way for individuals – being noticed lets your co-workers feel appreciated and acknowledged. Call out an employee during a meeting for something great they’ve done and thank them for going the extra mile! You could even issue a letter of encouragement or an award for achievement.

2) Help your colleagues
If there is an upcoming deadline or your co-worker is overwhelmed with their daily duties then offer a hand to help. The acknowledgement and assistance goes a long way.

3) Organise a team activity
A team-building activity can give you and others in the office the opportunity to get to know each other, which has the benefit of improving communication, creating a positive environment, developing trust and enhancing motivation. We have had excellent results with team building activities outside of work within our work place! Exploring the opportunity to organize a team-building activity is a kind act because it shows you care about the wellbeing of the workplace.

4) Smile!
Body language is an important indicator of kindness – a genuine smile shared with another person can make them smile and feel better instantly! Smiling has been proven as a health benefit – not only is it contagious but it can lower blood pressure and reduce stress!

5) Be aware of your tone of voice & words
Within our virtual age, it is common to communicate with one another via email and through online platforms. However, communicating online easily causes miscommunication as messages can be interpreted in different ways as you cannot detect a co-workers tone. Where possible, try to be clear in your messages to portray your feelings/tone in the best way of possible to avoid miscommunication. Avoid being short and instead, take the time to write a message that’s positive and doesn’t leave much room for confusion.