Kindness is not costly. To be kind, you do not have to pay any money or work very hard. Instead, a simple smile can be kindness. Most people undermine its importance, but a simple act of kindness can go a long way.
People in the workplace hardly pay attention to including kindness in their day-to-day activities. This unconscious dismissal of kindness leads to problems they might not even acknowledge. Most people are led to believe that kindness is a personality trait that shows your soft side and hence a weakness.
In today’s time, we focus on making the world and all its sectors a more human-friendly place. That means that more and more companies are trying to add kindness and acceptance to the mix to improve the workplace experience.
How Being Kind Helps Your Business
Even though being kind is part of being a decent human, there are many benefits that can be reaped from it. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits being kind brings:
1. Productivity
It is no secret that for a business to succeed, it needs high productivity levels. Productivity levels depend greatly on the willingness of your employees to work. Motivation is a great factor in boosting productivity levels. To motivate employees, businesses need to show them tenderness.
When you treat employees with kindness day in and day out, they believe that the company cares about them, pushing them to work harder. They work hard because they know that their efforts will not end in vain and their employers will be happy with the progress.
2. Client Retention
If your employees are unhappy themselves, then you cannot expect them to make your customers happy. Your customers will notice that your employees are not fulfilled by their jobs, which will surely tarnish your company’s reputation. A happy employee means satisfied customers. Keeping this in mind, you need to treat employees with care and compassion.
3. Employee Retention
Many companies face an employee turnover where employees switch to better opportunities with better working conditions. A company relies heavily on its employees to function. This is why if you want to retain your hard-working employees, you need to be kinder to them. A little kindness from your end will buy their loyalty for years to come.
4. Happy Environment
A bad work environment can impact productivity levels, the interaction between employees and even between the employer and the employees. Nobody wants to wake up in the morning and head out to their jobs knowing that the environment is not how they would like it.
If you are kind to your employees, the workplace environment will be supportive and enriching. More and more people would want to join your company just to hear those words of appreciation.
5. Company Reputation
The business you get depends on how the public perceives your company. If it does not have a good reputation, you are very likely not to have much business. To improve your company’s reputation, you must start with being kinder to your employees. If you have happy employees, they will work hard and therefore, improve the overall reputation.
How to Be Kinder to Your Employees
1. Be Appreciative
Your team is working hard to achieve goals for your business. Even though you pay your employees to do their jobs, it won’t hurt you to show them a little kindness. Acknowledge the efforts they make and show them appreciation. A few words of appreciation will show your employees that their hard work does not go unnoticed and that they should keep working hard. Appreciation acts as an intrinsic motivation and can boost the output of your company.
2. Celebrate Achievements
If your business is doing well and you have achieved milestones, it is a great idea to share the celebration with your team. They are the biggest contributor to the success your business receives, which is why you need to celebrate it with them. There are many ways you can do that – be creative.
3. Have Team Building Exercises
A team that communicates well produces results. As an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure that your team works well together and is kind to each other. To improve communication and trust levels between your employees, you can use team-building exercises. Take them out to a picnic or have a movie night in the office. These things can contribute to a motivated and strengthened workforce.
4. Be Considerate
Life is both kind and unkind. Your employees may face problems in their personal lives. Some of them might not be in their control, and for some, they might have to seek help. As an employer, it is your responsibility to be kind to your employees and be considerate towards the problems they might be facing. If possible, give them the day off and offer your help so that they feel cared for.
5. Don’t Overwork Employees
Overworking your employees is taking undue advantage of your position. Everyone has a threshold of how much work and stress they can take. Do not push your employees beyond their limits and be kind to them. Only allot them the amount of work you know they will be able to complete.
Conclusion
A happy workplace can bring you success from all avenues. Kindness can help improve the way your company runs and the outcomes it receives. Stay kind to your employees and watch them flourish. Your success is tied with theirs, so it is important that you preach kindness and also practice it.
