“How could we show YOU more kindness at work?” This was the question I recently asked several audiences during my Economy of Kindness programs. These programs were for healthcare employees and I was pretty surprised by their answers. As a reminder to leadership, your employees want to be acknowledged and appreciated, maybe even more than the actual compensation! A culture of kindness doesn’t have to cost a lot for your bottom line.
Along with the healthcare industry, long-term care is one that I speak with often. When I attended the Arizona Healthcare Association Convention and Expo in July of 2022, I was able to ask long-term care professionals this same question, “What is one way we can be kind to you right now?” The answers reminded me that creating a culture of kindness doesn’t have to be hard. Common answers were…
“Just a simple thank you.”
“Just a simple smile.”
“Positive affirmations and laughter.”
“Offering me understanding and grace.”
“Remember my name.”
“Show kindness when I’m in a bad mood.”
Opportunities to elevate the culture of kindness
Whatever your role may be in the organization, you have an abundance of opportunities to elevate the culture of kindness. You do not have to be a manager or part of leadership to impact your company culture, and managers should empower their employees to do so.
If you are a manager or leader in your organization, consider asking your staff how the company could better support them. The simple gesture of checking in strengthens the trust in your relationship and benefits a culture of kindness. In a workplace that values kindness, employees set higher goals, perform better as teams, and are more engaged.
What Employees are Asking Managers For:
Managers, ask your employees, “How could we show you more kindness at work?” Their answers may surprise you. You could be prioritizing a more effective way to support your staff. To find out, ask your employees. If you can’t ask each employee individually, ask them to rank the most common responses.
More Time Off
More Money
Words of Appreciation
Check on me. Ask how I’m doing.
Smile
If you are an employee, would you take 30 seconds to share how you would rank these for yourself, the first being the most important to you in how your employer could show you more kindness? You can keep up with the conversation and the final results with me on LinkedIn.
