Kindness, love needed in the workplace
In a month that features both Valentine’s Day and Random Acts of Kindness Day, you may wonder if love and kindness have a place in the workplace.
Organizational experts say “yes.” Both contribute not only to employee well-being, but also to a positive culture, lower turnover and higher productivity.
Valentine’s Day is all about romance, but there are many other forms of love that are equally, if not more, important in our lives.
The sure cure for burnout
Research shows that love is an antidote to employee burnout. According to the pollster Gallup, as organizations strategically focus on preventing burnout at work, they should make well-being a part of their culture.
They should do whatever they can to support employees in having healthy relationships both within and outside the workplace.
Love drives us to perform
A 2014 study reported in the Harvard Business Review said that employees who perceive greater affection and caring from their colleagues perform better.
People who work in a culture where they feel free to express affection, tenderness, caring and compassion for one another are more satisfied with their jobs, committed to the organization, and accountable for their performance.
In other words, treating employees with humanity and compassion pays dividends.
Love powers our mission
That doesn’t mean being soft or without rules. You’re not likely to find many institutions that are better known for toughness and rules than the U.S. Marines.
A recent podcast tells this story: A Marine was asked, ‘what makes the Marines so good?’ His answer was, “Love – love of country, love of corps, love of your fellow Marine.” Love gives a purpose, whereas individualism does not have a purpose beyond oneself.
Another researcher says that love is the accelerator to meaning and purpose. Goals and missions are common in business, but empathy adds a new dimension.
And where there is love:
There’s kindness. A surprise act of kindness can be incredibly uplifting.
The Dalai Lama says, “Be kind whenever possible. It’s always possible.”
One study reported in the Harvard Business Review found that acts of courtesy, helping and praise were predictive of productivity, efficiency and lower turnover rates. The study involved 3,500 business units with more than 50,000 individuals.
Pass it on
Love breeds kindness, and kindness breeds happiness. And for that matter, who
doesn’t want love and kindness in their lives?
Source: beqom.com
