Wholeness Healing Center

Developing a Kind Workplace Envrionment

When you think about it, on average, we spend 40-60 hours each week at our workplace environment. Some days it might be nice to isolate yourself – shut off the phones and the world and work away. However, that usually is not the reality of today’s workplace. Cubical style offices and open-door policies allow regular interaction with our co-workers, clients and those we meet along the way each and every day. So how do we keep a positive, kind, strong and healthy work environment with the real-life stress of the world revolving around us? Attitude is the key. Check your attitude at the office door each day, asking yourself, “What do I want to bring with me today?” Model kindness and gratitude, the behaviors you would like to see from those you encounter. You never know what the people you meet each day might be going through in their lives. At any given time, approximately 18% of any work force is affected by personal problems that can affect work performance and work relationships. (Hall, 2016) Here are a few ways you can share kindness within the workplace and in essence create a more positive working environment.

Demonstrate Positive Reinforcement
• “You did a great job greeting that client and making them feel welcome.”

• “I heard you talking on the phone and your voice was so kind.  You are a great listener, too.”

• “You always think of others by making sure we have everything we need in our team meetings.”

Demonstrate Happiness
• Greet everyone you see. Put your phone down and pay attention to those you meet. You may be the only positive interaction they have on that particular day. A good mood can inspire and impact others.

Demonstrate Motivation for Others 
• There are several websites that provide quotes for the day or inspirational materials that you can share with others. This might be especially helpful if you know someone who is currently facing a challenge.

• Refrain from complaining; it only
makes the situation worse and creates a negative and uncomfortable environment around you with others.

Engage in Random Acts of Kindness
• Genuinely show interest in a coworker’s situation.

• Do something unexpected for someone else. (Hall, 2016)

Practice kindness with a positive attitude throughout your day and see the results return to you. If your work environment is feeling toxic and/or you need assistance
in managing your situation, Wholeness Healing’s Employee Assistance Program can help. Employees are much more likely to seek out help for their work problems with an EAP in place – a no cost benefit to the employee that is simple and straightforward to utilize and assures confidentiality for the employee.

EAP’s can help create a positive organizational culture in which the value of seeking help is normalized and encouraged. By offering an EAP, employers communicate to their employees that they are valued members of the workforce and can establish the company as a caring, pro-employee organization. And if the environment needs more kindness, you, as a leader, can encourage the EAP utilization to bring more kindness into the workplace.

Works Cited:

Hall, T. (2016, Dec 28). https://good.co/blog/createpositive-work-environment/. Retrieved from https://good.co/blog/

Tags: Developing a kind workplace environment, kindness in the workplace, toxic work environment