So, acts of kindness are based on giving something to somebody without expecting anything in return.
Hi there and welcome. My name is Kerstin Jatho, and I am a transformational coach who shifts people from languishing to flourishing. In today’s video, I want to talk to you about instilling random acts of kindness in the workplace. Why do acts of kindness matter is that they spread a lot of positivity, and positivity is what we need right now in the hybrid workplace.
So, when did you last give or make something for somebody without expecting anything in return? When did you go out of your way to give something to a family member, a friend, or a colleague, just knowing that that is what they needed right now?
Sonja Lyubomirsky, a well-known Positive Psychology researcher, came up with the name, acts of kindness. However, she changed them to random acts of kindness because they cannot become a chore, something that you have to do, but something that you randomly do. You either make it something that you do once a day throughout the day, as you see it, or you can do six of them in one day. However, they increase happiness, well-being, and satisfaction by 42%.
So, can you imagine what a random act of kindness will do to your team? So, acts of kindness are based on giving something to somebody without expecting anything in return. You’re not expecting to receive the same process back. To be able to give an act of kindness, you have to start becoming mindful, to start seeing what somebody is perhaps struggling with and then to reach out to them.
It can be as simple as just listening to somebody, it can be bringing somebody a hot cup of chocolate, helping them with their workload, cooking for them a meal, looking after their children, and so it goes on. In the workplace, it can be literally cheering them up by putting a little KitKat or chocolate on their desk with a handwritten card or a quote or something inspiring. Sending somebody an inspiring video via your telephone or mobile. It’s really looking at how can I uplift this person today?
So those are random acts of kindness. As mentioned before, they are exceptionally powerful in the workplace and very much needed. People who receive a random act of kindness from you feel appreciated, valued, and recognised, which goes a far way in the workplace and will often help them to be more productive, committed, and go the extra way.
So, I know this is a workplace environment, but you can easily implement acts of kindness without going too much out of your way.
Thank you for watching. I look forward to connecting with you in the next one.
Over to you for sharing your comments and experiences.
When last did you do something nice for a colleague because you felt like it?
About the Author: Kerstin Jatho
Kerstin is the senior transformational coach and team development facilitator for 4Seeds Consulting. She is also the author of Growing Butterfly Wings, a book on applying positive psychology principles during a lengthy recovery. Her passion is to develop people-centred organisations where people thrive and achieve their potential in the workplace. You can find Kerstin on LinkedIn, Soundcloud, YouTube and Facebook.
