Random ways to be kind at work (and why it matters)

Be kinder than is necessary. Everyone is fighting some kind of battle.

These 12 simple words, clipped from the local newspaper, occupied a tiny sliver of real estate on my mother’s refrigerator door for years. Although the clipping, along with the refrigerator, is long gone, it still pops up as the angel on my shoulder in moments where I’m presented with a choice to be kind or be … umm … unfiltered.

Each of us could fill a book with the people who challenge our best intentions (and ability!) to be kind. And that is exactly why kindness is so important. There’s a lot of negativity and crap out there already – no need to pile on.

The catch is that the moments in which kindness has the biggest impact are the same moments in which being kind is really frikkin’ hard. But practicing kindness daily – building a little muscle around it – helps.

Turns out the office is a great place to do that. You’re there (physically or virtually) five or so days a week, interacting with a variety of people, some of whom are probably on your “challenging” list.

Statistics remind us why kindness matters

Some battles – a broken leg, chemotherapy – leave visible marks. But most often, the battles our coworkers fight are invisible, especially when it comes to mental health.

Random ways to be kind at work

Whether you’re in it to build the ol’ kindness muscle, or just want to counter-balance the miasma of negativity it feels like we live in, your teammates are ideal recipients.

Here are a few random ways to practice kindness at work.

1. Send flowers, a yummy treat, or a coffee gift card to a teammate on their birthday or work-iversary.
2. Learn your teammates’ working preferences (and follow them).
3. If your team has an on-call rotation (or similar), offer to step in for the person who’s been working overtime lately.
4. Always acknowledge the receipt of chat messages. With remote work, it can be easy to feel like we’re talking into a void.
5. Relay the positive feedback you heard about someone’s work if they weren’t there to hear it first hand.
6. Better yet, offer some positive feedback yourself with a hand-written thank you note or an e-card.
7. Leave a public LinkedIn recommendation for a teammate you enjoy working with.
8. If you’re a manager, create opportunities for your team to praise each other. Celebrating small win can go a long way in fostering team motivation.
9. Invite new coworkers to a virtual lunch or coffee break. Make sure everyone feels like they’re part of the team, even when you’re remote.
10. Share a link to an article about something you know a teammate finds interesting: a band, author, or movie series, for example. Help people feel seen.
11. Listen. If a colleague is struggling with something, hear them out without immediately attempting to solve their problem.
12. Instead of criticising in a moment of frustration, write it in an email to yourself. Send, wait a moment, then read it. If it still seems important after those few minutes, by then you’ll probably have thought of a kinder, more constructive way to say it.
13. Have lunch delivered to someone you know is having a busy week (but also needs to eat!).
14. Share a personal story with your team. Being vulnerable allows us to show up more fully with our humanity  and connect with each other on a more meaningful level.
15. Re-share / RT posts referencing a teammate’s work, and add a bit of commentary for a personal touch.
16. Simply ask your coworkers “How are you?” and check in with each other on a personal level from time to time. Informal thoughtfulness can mean a lot.
17. Smile.

Kindness grows in a virtuous cycle

In other words, holding the elevator door a few extra seconds isn’t just being kind. It’s leading by example.