What is the ROI of Kindness at Work?
I am a firm believer that kindness is a good business practice. At a recent event I watched a business owner be pretty unkind to an employee in front of customers. I felt uncomfortable and also a little sad for both the boss and her staff member. Of course, I was sad for the employee because it’s embarrassing and so ego deflating to be put down, especially in front of others. I was sad for the owner because she was hurting her business by behaving in this manner.
Anyone managing human beings needs to understand that the culture of the work environment makes a huge difference in the performance of your staff. Negative, unpleasant workplaces are not as productive as environments where people are kind and gracious toward one another. No one wants to go to work at an unfriendly job.
Some business owners and management personnel need to be persuaded a little more to foster kindness at the job. The ultimate reason is the fact that people prefer to work for people who are kind and respect them. Those workers feel better about their jobs and as a result they exhibit more creativity and collaboration than people who work in negative spaces.
The data on creating and sustaining kindness is clear. It helps people like their jobs better and it helps the business make more money because their workers are more creative, collaborative and productive.
Would a kinder office environment spur you to be more productive?
