{"id":56698,"date":"2023-03-20T07:12:15","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T11:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=56698"},"modified":"2023-03-21T14:47:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-21T18:47:26","slug":"9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Company culture impacts employee engagement as well as customer retention. And that\u2019s just the beginning. But, how often do you think of \u201ckindness\u201d when cultivating your all-important company culture? There are many benefits gained from being kind at work, as we detailed in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-power-of-kindness-at-work\/\">our last article in this series<\/a>. This article shares several strategies that can help encourage kindness.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Culture plays a role in employee experience, but it shouldn\u2019t be the concern of human resources personnel alone. When a positive culture prospers, your entire organization can see advantages, including:<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Lowered stress levels help combat employee burnout and absenteeism<\/li>\n<li>Increased individual self-esteem can prompt people to be more creative and innovative<\/li>\n<li>Compassion encourages collaboration, greater connection, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/rethinking-employee-engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">improved relationships among employees<\/a> and with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/category\/customer-experiences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">customers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Kindness is at the heart of a positive work culture. Research suggests that \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0146167216649932\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">generosity is contagious<\/a>.\u201d People who receive an act of kindness will typically pay it forward, and often to someone new, which fosters a widespread culture of generosity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-56701\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mei-ling-mirow-4TDl2qOJWCc-unsplash-50x33.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p>So, what are some things that you and your people can do to cultivate a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-power-of-kindness-at-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">culture of kindness<\/a> at work? The following strategies are simple yet effective ways to demonstrate generosity and compassion for others, leveraging the power of kindness at work.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#1. Smile<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, it is really that simple. Smile at your colleagues more often. Even though smiling reduces blood pressure, stress, and feelings of pain, <em>and<\/em> helps strengthen our immune system and endurance, adults typically only smile <a href=\"https:\/\/www.henryford.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/health-benefits-smiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">20 times per day<\/a>. By comparison, kids smile an average of 400 times daily. Stop worrying about &#8220;laugh lines&#8221; and get in touch with your smiling inner child!<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#2. Slow down<\/h2>\n<p>When you arrive to work, or start a Zoom meeting, take a moment first to check-in. Say \u201cgood morning.\u201d Ask others \u201chow are you?\u201d Listen to the answer. Giving a few minutes of your day to an engaged conversation with your colleagues or customers is a small kindness that fosters long-term relationships.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#3. Listen first<\/h2>\n<p>Allow others to speak before you in meetings. Make a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/career-advice\/career-development\/workplace-kindness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">practice of listening<\/a>, then asking \u201cHow can I help?\u201d Even when you\u2019re busy at work, there is value in committing yourself to giving others the floor or making time to hear others out.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>If someone is experiencing a tough time at work, schedule time away from the office to let them vent. Invite them to grab a coffee or suggest an after work activity to show you\u2019re there for coworkers when they need it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#4. Help an overwhelmed co-worker out<\/h2>\n<p>This doesn\u2019t mean you have to take on someone else\u2019s workload (although you could do that if you are able to assist). You might simply offer to make them a cup of tea while they&#8217;re swamped at their desk, or order in lunch for both of you.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Paying attention to the people around you, you\u2019ll notice when someone else is overworked or on deadline. Your small kindness can give them a much-needed boost and lower their stress levels.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#5. Celebrate others<\/h2>\n<p>This can be as simple as recognizing someone else\u2019s birthday or posting a congratulations in Teams or on Slack for a colleague finishing a 5K. Or you might recognize the good work of others publicly. You might also give credit where it\u2019s due and champion someone else\u2019s good idea.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Even just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrzone.com\/lead\/culture\/leadership-why-kindness-is-an-underrated-quality-at-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">paying someone else a compliment<\/a> can boost how they feel about themselves in that moment. You\u2019ll likely notice you feel better, too. Of course, you want to keep your compliments HR-compliant. Don\u2019t focus on physical appearance. Instead, you might go with \u201cI appreciate the way you ask really insightful questions,\u201d or, \u201cYou\u2019re great at keeping us all on track during meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#6. Squash a rumor<\/h2>\n<p>We can choose in every interaction whether we want to contribute to a culture of kindness at work or not. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.workhuman.com\/blog\/5-reasons-kindness-matters-at-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Squashing a rumor<\/a> helps combat the dangers of gossip. While some amount of gossip can help team camaraderie, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/resourcesandtools\/hr-topics\/employee-relations\/pages\/office-gossip-policies.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">negative gossip<\/a> erodes trust and morale and can divide employees into taking sides. Feelings can get hurt and reputations may be damaged, which can increase employee anxiety.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#7. Consider small bonuses<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2021\/05\/dont-underestimate-the-power-of-kindness-at-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harvard Business Review<\/a> suggests that a \u201cpeer bonus\u201d system can help employees show appreciation and have a real positive effect. Encouraging your people to send one another a few dollars (from a company fund) in appreciation of excellent work can trigger benefits for both parties. Or, you might also start a program that lets employees send each other small gift cards to recognize one another.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#8. Share your knowledge<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/workplace-mentorship-program-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Being a mentor<\/a> to someone else is a lasting kindness. Yet even simply sharing something you\u2019ve learned with the team or sharing an article that helped you better understand a concept demonstrates your care for others.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>We\u2019re all bringing different skills and strengths to the workplace. Sharing what you know and your experiences, without being a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-work-with-micromanagers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">know-it-all<\/a> about it, can help you connect to others. At the same time, collaboration and creativity can grow as you show you trust and respect the people around you.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>#9. Surprise another team<\/h2>\n<p>Your team probably works in parallel with many others in your organization. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.octanner.com\/insights\/articles\/2022\/2\/7\/kindness_in_the_workplace.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Show you appreciate their efforts<\/a> by surprising them with breakfast treats. Or you might invite them to a meeting in which your people express gratitude. Or have each person on your team write a handwritten note to someone on that other team and leave it on their desks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>Small kindness at work, big results<\/h2>\n<p>Glassdoor reports that among more than 5,000 adults across four countries, <a href=\"https:\/\/about-content.glassdoor.com\/en-us\/workplace-culture-over-salary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">77% of adults consider company culture<\/a> before applying for a job. Clearly, a culture of kindness culture at work can make a real difference when it comes to hiring and retention.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Fortunately, these ideas highlight the power of small gestures. Kindness at work is so powerful that you don\u2019t have to do it on a grand scale to bring in big benefits.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Does your office culture promotes kindness? Get to know your employee experience better to create a culture everyone enjoys. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/employee-experience-platform\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SogoEX<\/a> can help you capture the pulse of your organization to better bridge experience gaps and nurture a culture of kindness, engagement, and growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Company culture impacts employee engagement as well as customer retention. And that\u2019s just the beginning. But, how often do you think of \u201ckindness\u201d when cultivating your all-important company culture? There are many benefits gained from being kind at work, as we detailed in our last article in this series. This article shares several strategies that can help encourage kindness. Culture plays a role in employee experience, but it shouldn\u2019t be the concern of human resources personnel alone. When a positive culture prospers, your entire organization can see advantages, including: Lowered stress levels help combat employee burnout and absenteeism Increased individual self-esteem can prompt people to be more creative and innovative Compassion encourages collaboration, greater connection, and improved relationships among employees and with customers Kindness is at the heart of a positive work culture. Research suggests that \u201cgenerosity is contagious.\u201d People who receive an act of kindness will typically pay it forward, and often to someone new, which fosters a widespread culture of generosity. So, what are some things that you and your people can do to cultivate a culture of kindness at work? The following strategies are simple yet effective ways to demonstrate generosity and compassion for others, leveraging the power of kindness at work. #1. Smile Yes, it is really that simple. Smile at your colleagues more often. Even though smiling reduces blood pressure, stress, and feelings of pain, and helps strengthen our immune system and endurance, adults typically only smile 20 times per day. By comparison, kids smile [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":5038,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,156],"tags":[239,646,164,241,829,810,60,382],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How can you cultivate a culture of kindness at work? It\u2019s not that difficult. Especially with the several strategies offered in this article.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work - Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How can you cultivate a culture of kindness at work? It\u2019s not that difficult. Especially with the several strategies offered in this article.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-20T11:12:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-21T18:47:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/emp-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"487\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"714\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jenn Goddu\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/\",\"name\":\"9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work - Sogolytics Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-20T11:12:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-21T18:47:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e279d58fbb23148c5be4fdcb53b4a454\"},\"description\":\"How can you cultivate a culture of kindness at work? It\u2019s not that difficult. Especially with the several strategies offered in this article.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Sogolytics Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e279d58fbb23148c5be4fdcb53b4a454\",\"name\":\"Jenn Goddu\",\"description\":\"Jenn likes asking questions and getting answers, which makes Sogolytics a good match. She\u2019s a Charlotte, NC-based, Canadian ex-pat, with a M.A. in Journalism and a M.F.A. in Creative Writing. She\u2019ll leave the quantitative data analysis to the experts!\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/author\/jgoddu\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work - Sogolytics Blog","description":"How can you cultivate a culture of kindness at work? It\u2019s not that difficult. Especially with the several strategies offered in this article.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work - Sogolytics Blog","og_description":"How can you cultivate a culture of kindness at work? It\u2019s not that difficult. Especially with the several strategies offered in this article.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/","og_site_name":"Sogolytics Blog","article_published_time":"2023-03-20T11:12:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-21T18:47:26+00:00","og_image":[{"width":487,"height":714,"url":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/emp-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Jenn Goddu","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/","url":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/","name":"9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work - Sogolytics Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-03-20T11:12:15+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-21T18:47:26+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e279d58fbb23148c5be4fdcb53b4a454"},"description":"How can you cultivate a culture of kindness at work? It\u2019s not that difficult. Especially with the several strategies offered in this article.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-kindness-at-work\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"9 Ways to Create a Culture of Kindness at Work"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/","name":"Sogolytics Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e279d58fbb23148c5be4fdcb53b4a454","name":"Jenn Goddu","description":"Jenn likes asking questions and getting answers, which makes Sogolytics a good match. She\u2019s a Charlotte, NC-based, Canadian ex-pat, with a M.A. in Journalism and a M.F.A. in Creative Writing. She\u2019ll leave the quantitative data analysis to the experts!","url":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/author\/jgoddu\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56698"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56698"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56723,"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56698\/revisions\/56723"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5038"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}