Creating a kinder workplace culture, which includes communications, team work, productivity, a value based business. Only push it out further than the basics.

In this post I’m going to push it out further, other than branding a workplace, it also needs to be healthy. What you present at work needs to be who you are as an individual, as well as what your company values and leads with. What kind of initiatives do you have at work that you can participate in? Are there programs that every employee has access to?

Did you know that 72% customers and employees prefer to work for value- based companies? Have your values and standards upfront.

What are your values?

“A personal or cultural value is an individual’s assumptions of ethical value that can form basis for action. A principle value is a foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based. As such, values reflect a person’s sense of right and wrong or what “ought” to be. “Equal rights for all”, “Excellence deserves admiration”, and “People should be treated with respect and dignity” are representative of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior.”

It’s pretty simple to start creating some initiatives at the beginning of a business or when you are starting to hire employees – if you haven’t considered, start planting seeds of kindness.

1. Employee recognition in the workplace. For every employee, every day, everywhere. Because workplace recognition drives employee engagement, we drive recognition. An employee will feel appreciated and will continue to be on board with doing their work.
2. Do you have an open door policy? Where people can come in and communicate their concerns, challenges or problems with the management.
3. Do you have diversity programs or sexual harassment protocols. Is there a place where people can report the harassment.
4. Implementing a Kindness to Colleague program for each department, so the employees can own their project. If you don’t have a big organization then by all means pick a company initiative, like a day to go out and volunteer.
5. Other Kindness themes will be about self-care, well-being taking care of one’s own spirit.
6. Nominate employees for your annual awards – Heart@Work has Kindness Hero Awards

One year a Kindness Hero Award went to a company. Although, they felt they were a kind company, there wasn’t any initiatives, they created one. By giving all their employees Feb 14, off to volunteer for the day, with pay.

There are several ideas, I am sure your employees has a few they would like to do.

Start where ever you are – just start. Pick one from these three themes:

1. Kindness to Oneself
2. Kindness to colleagues / co-workers
3. Kindness in the community.

Everyone can implement a stand- alone program or weave it into the companies values and other initiatives. I found this article about how to start a Kindness Revolution on a company website.

If you would like some help is getting started – just reach out to Mari-Lyn, call her at 510-320-8332, or use the Contact us form.