Do you enjoy going to work? Some people spend eight hours a day in fabulous workplaces, while others may not enjoy their workplace at all. There are so many ways people work and a vast array of different environments that they work in. Still, regardless if you work in an office, restaurant, daycare, or on the street doing construction, everyone deserves kindness when they are on the job. We are all in this together and should show compassion to our co-workers as well as others that we encounter throughout the day. Here are some ways to show kindness to people in our own work as well as others.
1. Reload the office supplies-If the printer is out of toner and ink or needs paper, refill it. Refill the cups at the water cooler or coffee station. Unwrap the new package of construction paper in the color that is getting low.
2. Bring in a treat-Bake some treats and bring them into your co-workers. Do this on a Monday or a Friday, and they will love you.
3. Turn on the Heat/AC-If you are one of the first people to arrive your, and you have access to the heat or air conditioning, turn it on right away.
4. Refill the bathroom supplies-If you go to the bathroom and notice the stalls are almost out of toilet paper, the towel dispenser out of towels, or the hand soap practically gone, take a few minutes and refill them. Don’t forget about air freshener too.
5. Treat a co-worker-If you work with someone intimately, treat them to a coffee or breakfast sandwich in the morning.
6. Refill the diaper supplies-If you work in a daycare and see that the diaper supplies are low, refill it with your students’ diapers and make sure there are plenty of wipes and gloves in the bathroom.
7. Compliment your boss-It may sound strange, but it may make a big difference in his or her day.
8. Share bottles of water-If you work in construction, have a cooler in the back of your truck packed with chilled water bottles to share with your coworkers on a hot day. Better yet, go to the store on your lunch break and treat everyone to popsicles or ice cream sandwiches before going back to work.
9. Smile at someone-Smile at a co-worker you usually don’t see when you pass their office or in the hall.
10. Throw a monthly birthday party-If you are in management, throw a birthday party every month or even every quarter for those who have a birthday in those months. (1st Quarter =Jan/Feb/March)
11. Leave a big tip-If you go out for lunch, make sure you leave your waiter or waitress a large tip.
12. Trade shifts or pick up a shift-If your coworker needs to trade shifts with someone, help them out. If they need someone to pick up an extra shift and it doesn’t conflict with anything you need to do, help them out there too.
13. Help with a project-Jump in and help a coworker if they are falling behind on a project if you are allowed to do so.
14. Compliment a coworker-If someone has done an excellent job on a project or stepped up to the plate when needed, give them a compliment.
15. Leave money in the vending machine return-Leave a few dollars or spare change in the vending machine return for someone else to use.
16. Run an errand-If your coworker needs something simple, like their dry cleaning picked up or something dropped off at the post office, offer to do it for them on your lunch break.
17. Thank a cashier-If you run to the store on your break, compliment the cashier who checks you out.
18. Rescue a sick coworker-If your coworker isn’t feeling well and you’re about to go home, ask your manager if you can take over their shift.
19. Say “hello” to the new person-If you see someone new, say “hello’ and introduce yourself.
20. Thank security-If your building has a security team that staffs the building, thank them.
21. Thank the valet-If your building offers valet parking, thank the valet that parks your car every day.
22. Thank your taxi/Uber/Lyft driver-If you live in the big city and let someone else do your driving to and from work, thank them for getting you where you need to go.
23. Thank the janitorial and maintenance crews-Take some time to thank and compliment those in your workplace that do the cleaning and fix things when they go wrong.
24. Leave gift cards-Buy a few gift cards for places like fast food restaurants, coffee shops, and donut shops and leave them around for others to find.
25. Show some support-Although this isn’t directly work related, it still shows kindness. If you have a coworker who is a professional singer, author, or volunteers at a nonprofit on the weekends, go to a show or book event or volunteer a few hours. Support those who have hobbies that make an impact on our society. This will not only show kindness, but it will also strengthen bonds at and outside of work.
Workplaces can be a fantastic place to be if we just show some kindness to one another. Let’s make our workplaces the best they can be. If you decide to take action on one of the suggestions above, don’t forget to give at least one of your coworkers a kindness card so they can share their story and keep the chain of kindness going.