Happy February.

To support you in being F.I.R.S.T. (Future-Ready. Innovative. Relevant. Strategic. Trusted.), here's 1 tip and 1 quote.

1. The F.I.R.S.T. Tip

Unlike decisiveness, resilience, and confidence, kindness is one of the more overlooked and underappreciated leadership workplace qualities.

Tragically, it is also often mistaken for weakness. Don’t we perceive someone who shows kindness as being “too soft”, “a pushover”, or “too accommodating”?

Yet, research shows that there is a direct link between kindness and happiness. Over 200 studies show that organisational citizenship behaviors - such as altruism, courtesy, conscientiousness, civic virtue, and sportsmanship – are strongly associated with happiness at work, productivity, and profitability. (Podsakoff et al., 2009).

In fact, a study conducted by the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School highlights that happy employees are 13% more productive.

Also, for those of you who have seen the Helen Hunt movie, “Paying it Forward,” you will realise that kindness is also highly contagious. And this is one contagion you may love to be afflicted by, because when you show kindness to someone, they naturally feel compelled to pass on kindness to the next person, creating a ripple effect for positive change.

So, here are 5 practical and easy ways to nurture kindness and spark joy in your workplace:

  1. Introduce yourself to a colleague you have not yet met- They will be happy to make a new work friend and expand their network….and so will you!
  2. Introduce new colleagues to others. They’ll appreciate the connections and are more likely to do the same later.
  3. Express Gratitude- Appreciate team members who have positively impacted you or your work through a thank-you email, a thoughtful note, or a small treat. They will feel great, and be more inclined to do it, more often.
  4. Recognise Unsung Heroes—Appreciate team members who quietly contribute outstanding work, even if it goes unnoticed. One of our clients incorporates Unsung Hero Awards as part of their Quarterly Business Awards celebration. It is remarkable how this encourages others to step up their game too.
  5. Acknowledge someone who has a different opinion from yours. Whether you agree with that perspective or not, acknowledge their right to have it, and thank them for sharing it. This makes them feel heard, understood, and respected. It also fosters a team culture that values diversity of thought and unique viewpoints.

Try them out and you will soon reap the benefits of nurturing a culture of kindness!

Tip: “Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.” —Bob Kerrey

Source: Podsakoff N.P., Whiting S.W., Podsakoff P.M., Blume B.D. Individual-and organizational-level consequences of organizational citizenship behaviors: A meta-analysis. J. Appl. Psychol. 2009;94:122–141. doi: 10.1037/a0013079.

2.The F.I.R.S.T. Quote

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