How to Spread Kindness at Work

In the competitive world we live in today, kindness can be easily overlooked.  Too often to we view our coworkers and management teams as annoyances, competition or people to just put up with.  On top of that we gather with those colleagues we do consider friends and tend to gripe and complain.  It can turn negative pretty fast.

In honour of Work Kindness Day, I wanted to bring kindness back to the workplace.  I'm not one to suggest complete overhauls and I know for myself that never works - it just leads to more feelings of overwhelm.  What I do love is the little things that we can do that don't cost us a lot of time, effort or money.   Little things like Random Acts of Kindness which is a concept that has taken over the world with children doing it at school and home, with people buying coffees for those in line behind them at the drive thru.  I think it is time to take it to where we spend a lot of our time, to the work world with these 20 ideas you can get started with today.

1. Buy a Coffee for someone who looks like they need it.
2. Bring in a sweet treat, like donuts for the office on a Monday or a dreary day.
3. Offer to help someone on a project.
4. Be Positive when others start talking negatively.
5. Invite someone to lunch like a new colleague or someone who eats alone a lot.
6. Buy an Assistant or Receptionist Flowers, they are often treated poorly so deserve a treat.
7. Mentor a new employee, especially a new grad.
8. Brag about someone to your boss.
9. Leave a motivating and kind Post It Note on the bathroom mirror (a la Operation Beautiful)
10. Be interested, ask your colleagues questions about their live outside of work.
11. Smile and Say "Hi" to everyone you pass in the hallway.
12. Put the phone away when talking with colleagues!
13. Be polite, say thank you and your welcome.
14. Hold the door open for people.
15. Remember birthdays and decorate their work-space.
16. Talk to everybody - from the CEO to the cleaning person and security guards.
17. Hand write a thank you note to someone who helped you out.
18. Leave a inspiring quote on a whiteboard.
19. Create a library exchange.
20. Invite someone to join you in completing Random Acts of Kindness.