How to create peace and kindness in the workplace.
Deep down, we all want the world to be in a better place. Yet, with the steady stream of negative news-;especially surrounding this year’s presidential election-;it can be difficult to escape the constant negativity.
As the fall equinox approaches, arriving on September 22 in the U.S., employees may experience sluggish performance, isolation, or a general sense of feeling off their game. As a leader, use this seasonal shift as a source of inspiration. Set aside time to promote engagement in activities that spark hope and activate the brain’s rewards center.
Science tells us that one way to do this is to practice kindness. In their chapter on neuroscience and happiness, Richard Davidson and Brianna Schuyler detail how technological innovation over the past two decades has enhanced our understanding of emotional regulation through cortical and subcortical interactions. It is fascinating to see how practices aligned with kindness positively impact brain function and structure. As leaders, we can use this framework to tap into neuroscience when our teams need us most.
Kindness Worldwide, a nonprofit organization founded by Kevin Smith, puts science into action by dedicating eight days to its signature initiative: Kindness Week Worldwide. This year, the event takes place from November 9-16, 2024, and will be celebrated in multiple communities worldwide. The eight days symbolically represent each of the eight characteristics of kindness: gratitude, generosity, empathy, forgiveness, patience, respect, joy, and service. This is a practical way to unite and improve overall well-being among people in an organization.
8 days of kindness
To put these ideas into action, create a season of peace and kindness in the workplace. Implement Kindness Worldwide’s eight characteristics of kindness by establishing Kindness Week in your organization:
- Gratitude Monday: Invite everyone in your organization to write a note to a colleague acknowledging how they make the workplace better. Provide branded notecards or use text or chat messages.
- Patience Tuesday: Set up a Slack or other communication channel where employees share how they practiced patience. Start the thread with examples like, I took deep breaths when I got a phone call from an upset client or I listened without interrupting my colleague.
- Empathy Wednesday: Encourage each employee to perform a random act of kindness for a colleague, client, or vendor partner. They can share their experience on a communication channel.
- Respect Thursday: Prompt employees to share a picture of a food, tradition, value, or custom unique to them. These can be shared in an online discussion board, on a live synchronous video call, or in face-to-face small groups. This promotes cultural awareness and safety among the team.
- Joy Friday: Set up a compliment wall in your building or as a virtual bulletin board. Team members can leave positive notes for each other. Encourage each other to express gratitude for one another, recognition for good work, or something they admire about a colleague.
- Service Saturday: Create a list of optional community service opportunities for employees, such as the Kindness Rocks Project or services like KindWorks, which brings community volunteers together to cook and provide services to those in need.
- Generosity Sunday: Establish a joy jar for team members to drop notes about what made them smile or feel happy during the week. For virtual teams, use an online discussion board or channel to share these highlights. Celebrate these small wins together.
- Forgiveness: As a bonus day, you can extend Kindness Week or make forgiveness something employees reflect upon throughout the week, allowing employees to keep these thoughts private. Provide weekly reflection questions, such as What one step can I take today to forgive myself for a past mistake, or Is there someone I need to forgive and how can releasing these emotions help me?
As we move into this new season, let the fall equinox be a reminder that change is an opportunity for renewal. In the workplace, this change can start with simple acts of kindness that ripple through your team and beyond. Be the leader who embraces kindness and creates the seeds of peace that most employees crave. A workplace grounded in kindness is one where everyone can thrive.
Article originally published on September 24, 2024 on Inc.com.