Highlights
- Kindness is not weakness; it’s a powerful tool for organisational success.
- Know some examples of kindness in the workplace, and know how it positively affects business.
An act of kindness makes us feel special, heard, treated with care, loved. It turns out in business and health settings, kindness actually translates to money and wellness.
How?
Studies show that companies that practice and preach kindness go a long way in terms of:
- Attracting and retaining top talent,
- Employee morale and productivity,
- Building a positive brand reputation,
- Customer loyalty and satisfaction,
- Fostering a healthy and supportive work environment.
Studies have emerged that there's a real business case for making it part of work culture.
There’s more. Kindness isn’t just about smiling at everybody, or about personal connections. Compassion and empathy also shown a significant impact on health, specifcally in terms of:
- Reduce patient anxiety and stress,
- Improve patient satisfaction,
- Enhance the doctor-patient relationship,
- Promote healing and recovery, and
- Create a more positive and supportive healthcare environment.
Effects of workplace stress
Work, by nature, is a breeding ground for stress and frustration. Workplace stress manifests in symptoms like constant worrying, irritability, and trouble concentrating, which can impair job performance and lead to emotional, rather than logical, career decisions.
In a world riven by many stressors, how does kindness be a business tool?
Here's one: Harvard Business School researchers explored the impact of compassionate leadership on business outcomes.
What they found: leaders who demonstrate kindness, empathy and care for their employees tend to create more positive and productive work environments. Such leaders were found to have higher levels of employee engagement, job satisfaction, and overall performance.
Here's another: Researchers at the University of Michigan (UM) conducted a study to examine the relationship between employee kindness and customer satisfaction.
What the UM team found: When employees treated customers with kindness and compassion, it led to higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The study suggested that kindness is a valuable asset for businesses seeking to build strong customer relationships and improve their bottom line.
Business case for kindness
These studies show that a daily dose of kindness actually makes good business sense. Here's how:
Improved workplace culture: Kindness fosters a positive and supportive work environment, reducing stress and increasing employee satisfaction.
Increased productivity: Kind workplaces lead to happier and more engaged employees, which can boost productivity and overall performance.
Enhanced reputation: Organisations known for their kindness attract top talent and customers, building a strong reputation.
Strategic asset: It turns out the effects of kindness in the workplace underscore its importance – as a strategic asset, contributing to a healthier, more productive, and more successful work environment.
Studies
In the medical setting, a number of studies show the effects of kindness: physician empathy has been “inversely” associated with chronic pain outcomes.
For example, in a study published in NEJM Journal Watch in April 2024 on 1,470 adults (mean age, 53) with chronic low back pain — patients cared for by physicians with high “empathy scores” reported lower pain intensity and less disability.
In 2021, research led by David A. Fryburg published their study in Frontiers in Psychology which compared people who viewed of children’s programming, and those who watched “kindness media”, i.e. content that showed people being kind and caring. The Fryburg study showed that participants who watched kindness media (in a health clinic setting), had significant increases in feeling happy, were calmer, more grateful, and less irritated.
Mayo Clinic also conducted a study to investigate the impact of compassionate care on patient outcomes. Researchers examined the experiences of patients who received compassionate care from healthcare providers.
The study found that patients who felt cared for and understood by their healthcare providers reported lower levels of anxiety, stress, and pain. More to it, these patients experienced faster recovery times and better overall health outcomes.
The University of Pennsylvania study also explored the relationship between physician empathy and patient outcomes. Researchers measured physician empathy levels and patient satisfaction ratings.
They found that patients who perceived their physicians as empathetic reported higher levels of satisfaction with their care, improved adherence to treatment plans, and better health outcomes. The study emphasised the importance of physician empathy in fostering trust and building strong doctor-patient relationships.
High turnover costs
In The Business Case for Compassion, author Dr. Andrea Hollingsworth, cites the huge cost savings in boosting engagement and reducing turnover. She cited that each time a business needs to replace an employee, it costs 6 to 9 months’ salary, on average.
A Gallup poll shows that US businesses lose up to $1 trillion every year due to voluntary turnover.
“And the most astounding part is that most of this damage is self-inflicted,” wrote Gallup's Shane McFeely and Ben Wigert.
Here's how it breaks down for an individual organisation:
- The annual overall turnover rate in the US in 2017 was 26.3 per cent, based on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- The cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the employee's annual — and that's a conservative estimate.
- Gallup estimates that a 100-person organisation that provides an average salary of $50,000 could have turnover and replacement costs of approximately $660,000 to $2.6 million per year.
How to foster kindness in your organisation
Define kindness: Clearly articulate what kindness means in your organization's context.
Lead by example: Demonstrate kindness in your own behavior and encourage others to do the same.
Recognise and reward kindness: Acknowledge and reward acts of kindness to reinforce positive behaviour.
Create a supportive environment: Implement policies and practices that promote kindness and discourage negative behaviour.
Prioritise self-care: Encourage employees to practice self-kindness, as it can lead to better decision-making and overall well-being.
Listen, and really listen: Think beyond polite smiles. One study suggests actively showing you care. Listen intently when your colleagues talk, initiating conversations to build rapport.
The more you practice kindness, the more likely the people around you will do the same. And the effect continues to spread from there. It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle that can build a momentum of its own.
Simple gestures (examples)
These are the simple gestures that make a big difference.
- > Holding the door
- > Offering help on projects
- > Checking in on someone’s day
- > Following up on past discussions to nurture connections.
- > Leaving surprise treats (and then telling your group chat where to find the goodies) are all ways to spread kindness.
- > Sharing lunch with a colleague eating alone.
- > Sending a heartfelt thank-you note,
- > Publicly recognising someone's contributions.
When you perform acts of kindness, your brain releases a flood of feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. These neurotransmitters elevate your mood, boost well-being, and activate your empathy.
But the benefits don't stop there. Research shows that kindness can actually reshape your brain by forming new neural connections. This enhanced brain activity can improve your ability to process positive emotions and manage stress.
Ever experienced the "ripple effect of kindness"?
When you do a random act of kindness, like paying for someone's coffee or lending a helping hand, you not only feel good but also trigger the same positive response in the recipient's brain. Kindness truly has a cascading effect, benefiting both the giver and the receiver.
"The more you practice kindness, the more likely the people around you will do the same. And the effect continues to spread from there. It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle that can build a momentum of its own."
Takeaways
By fostering positive emotions and promoting generosity, acts of kindness can create a more supportive and compassionate work environment.
Ultimately, kindness benefits everyone – employees feel more valued, customers develop greater loyalty and companies thrive in a more productive atmosphere.
Kindness isn’t just about feeling good – it’s contagious. Recognising and appreciating others encourages positive interactions, building a strong foundation for a happier, healthier workplace.
