Research Shows Kindness Can Contribute To Business Success.
Prior to lockdown, many firms were looking at how to improve productivity through improving employee wellbeing. Loneliness, mental health problems and the loss of purpose for many over lockdown means that addressing wellbeing is more important than ever, for bosses just as much as their staff. Happily, one of the solutions to the situation could be surprisingly easy to implement.
One of the significant aspects of 2020 has been how people have come together to try and help those around them. It’s given many an increased sense of community, something that’s been hard to come by as workplaces and social circles have been hit by social distancing measures and lockdown. Now more people are back at work, either for themselves or someone else, could that sense of caring, kindness and community be translated into the work setting for the benefit of everyone?
Studies have explored the effectiveness of kindness on improving business performance2, and its importance has been recognised as a key driver of increased productivity. Kindness and the relationships that derive from it can be the deciding factor in whether or not you win a contract, a team gels and works well together or whether you can persuade others to assist your project.
It is often the quality of the interaction that makes us remember people and how they made us feel. In or out of work, experiencing a simple kind act helps people build deeper relationships with others (although beware, it’s easy to create dissonance and distrust with an ungenuine act). It’s been shown, for example, that those salespeople who focus on building relationships, getting to know and understand their customers, are generally more successful.
It’s been described as “the essential oil of human interaction”, making things work more smoothly, reducing stress and increasing co-operation.
And we certainly know when it’s absent. Unkind working environments tend to have a high throughput of staff, coupled with lower productivity and as a consequence aren’t be as successful as they could be.
The great thing is that being kind is easy. A kind word to bolster someone feeling low, timely help to enable a colleague to meet a deadline or responding to requests for advice on how to resolve a sticking point can all make a business function more effectively. And it doesn’t end with our colleagues. Our clients respond just as positively to kindness so it’s good for business too.
How we treat each other is often a reflection of the circumstances we find ourselves in, so make sure your business is remembered for the right reasons. Promote kindness in all your dealings internally and externally. Go the extra mile and remember a birthday, bring in cakes, notice and praise something well done.
“When people feel valued and respected, they perform better. The business case for being kind is robust and strong. There is a win-win outcome.”(6)
Kindness can be good business! (4)
Research shows that acts of kindness can lead to better performance and wellbeing in the workplace, but how do you make yours a kind place to be? The good news is that it’s possible to increase feelings of wellbeing and productivity rates by actively encouraging people to engage in act of kindness and to “pay it forward”.
“Kindness really does ripple outwards from a good deed.” (5)
And the great news is that it’s self-perpetuating. We just need to kick start the culture of kindness to see it rippling out across an organisation. One small act could create a better place to work and a more successful business.
Kindness can make our work lives more positive, reduce absenteeism and have a measurable effect on the bottom line, while costing little to nothing. Encouraging this value seems like an obvious and simple step to improve employee wellbeing and company productivity.
As they say “What’s not to like?”
If you’d like to know more about creating business success through social media, take a look at my blogs and follow Redcurrant Social on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or find me on LinkedIn.
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Deborah Padwick is a trained Social Media Manager, with experience of helping small and global businesses with their social media presence. Deborah set up Redcurrant Social to work with small business owners and freelancers to get the most out of social media and ultimately to grow their businesses. Deborah has helped businesses and charities to gain clarity with their social media marketing, reach greater audiences, generate leads, fill their appointment books, make sales and grow.
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