How To Spread Kindness At Work

Cards are a great way to let somebody know that you are thinking about them. Whether they may be sick, went out of their way for you recently, or if you just want to try and boost somebody’s morale, cards are one of the quickest and easiest ways to do so. 

In yesterday’s story, I touched on the fact that I am applying for a new job. Hopefully, if all goes well, I will have made it onto the next stage in the interview process. I should find out here soon, so fingers crossed in the meantime. 

One of the things that helped to boost my confidence going into the interview was some encouraging words from a coworker. I don’t know why I had the urge to check my email right before stepping into an interview, but I am sure glad that I did. 

In there was an unread message from somebody who I not only consider to be a coworker, but a friend and a mentor as well. It read, “It’s a big day for you man! Just wanted to wish you the best of luck and fingers crossed!”

A Random Act of Encouragement

The truth is, this coworker will never know just how much their words of encouragement impacted me. I know it sounds cliche to say that a few simple words helped to drastically impact my mood, but they did. 

I went from feeling like a nervous wreck to feeling blessed. 

Simultaneously, it gave me all the confidence that I needed to go into the interview and simply be myself. No matter what happened, I knew that I had a strong support system right behind me and they would be there for me every step of the way. 

Spreading Kindness At Work

This coworker of mine is somebody who really loves pastries. Cake, donuts, cookies, you name it, if there is flour and sugar in it, you better believe he will eat it. He’s also an ironman athlete, so he can essentially eat whatever he wants without having to worry about gaining any weight. 

Yesterday morning, I wanted to reach out to him and let him know just how much his words of encouragement meant to me. 

Every day, my morning routine remains the same. I wake up, get dressed, and go to the same coffee shop for an hour or so to read, write, and to map out my day. And as you may know, coffee shops tend to have some of the best pastries. 

As I left for work, I went up and grabbed the biggest and tastiest cinnamon roll that I could find. In my car, I still had some unused thank you notes from the interview (Tip: No matter what you are interviewing for, always be sure to write a thank-you note).

I ended up writing a nice little thank you note to him and placed both the note and the cinnamon roll on his desk before he arrived. When he got in and sat down, he looked around, opened the note, and smiled. 

Not saying that it made his day, but just like he had made mine better when I read his email, I knew that his day was off to a good start. 

Now, of course, the cinnamon roll didn’t stand a chance of surviving, but that’s beside the point. The point is you spend 8 hours of your day (if not more) at work. Work relationships can be some of the strongest relationships in your life, so treat them as such. 

Different Ways To Spread Kindness

You don’t need to do much to make the workplace a better environment for everybody to be in. Simple acts of kindness will do the trick. Here are a few different ways to spread kindness at work. 

1. Write somebody a note.
2. Ask a co-worker how their day is going.
3. Help somebody if they are falling behind.
4. Treat somebody to breakfast or lunch.
5. Make a fresh pot of coffee (you will be loved by everyone if you do this!).
6. Tell your boss or co-worker how much you appreciate them.
7. Compliment others on their hard work and/or success.
8. Be uplifting, encouraging, and as motivating as possible.
9. Bring donuts in for the office or the team. 
10. Share any insightful tips you have on how others can improve. This is also called constructive criticism. Not just criticism, but constructive criticism. Yes… there is a difference.

Final Thoughts

Work is only bad if you make or allow it to be bad. There are many people who enjoy their jobs and it’s because they make the most out of the opportunities that they have in front of them. 

Whether or not you think it, you do have an opportunity to enjoy work. And one of the best ways in doing so is to spread kindness and make it more enjoyable not only for yourself, but for those around you as well.

Michael Bonnell

Yesterday’s random act of kindness: What Happens When You Are Kind To Others