I was in the hospital with a very sick relative. The rest of the floor grew quiet as visitors left and the minimal overnight staff came on shift. But then, the door opened unexpectedly, and in walked the emergency room doctor who had admitted my relative the day before.
“You told me you hoped to see me again, so I thought I’d come to see how you are,” she said.
It was a simple yet intentional five-minute “extra” at the end of a long shift in the ER. But small acts of kindness like this mean the world to my family.
She was a young doctor, likely still trying to prove herself in a difficult field. But she showed that she expected no recognition or career advancement for this gesture. Nobody was watching her take this extra step to show a patient that she genuinely cared about their recovery. So why did she do it? Because she wanted to.
Small acts of kindness at work
In a world where workplace burnout, stringent expectations and micromanaging run rampant, some have mastered the art of the unseen favor, or “give back” moment, while others have lost it. It makes sense why—we’ve all been at the mercy of a boss who has had us do just one too many extras to the point of exhaustion, and even underappreciation. Yet those moments when a staff member wants to go the extra mile for a customer or colleague might be the secret to both our own personal workplace happiness and to building a genuinely positive workplace culture.
A 2022 study found that employees with a positive work environment were able to work harder for achievements and also tended to recover more effectively when they faced difficulties. Cengage Group also reports that 31% of employees who choose to leave an organization do so because of a disconnect between the company’s mission and their values.
So how can companies create a culture where people feel fulfilled enough to do something extra for someone else’s good? What will drive them to want to do it on their own rather than pushing them to do it against their will—and ultimately into burnout?
It’s complicated, and ironically, it may start with a culture of overtly recognizing when people help others until it becomes the norm. Bonusly Research found that 83.9% of highly engaged employees reported being recognized by their employer for going above and beyond. Only 25.1% of actively disengaged employees reported the same.
The following examples demonstrate how workers and employers in all industries can perform small acts of kindness at work that make a big difference in both their own lives and in the lives of others. If you follow suit, you may be on your way to more personal and professional fulfillment.
Be human
At work, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of seeing coworkers as just one-dimensional people you work with rather than as multifaceted human beings with real lives. But sometimes, we catch a glimpse of a colleague’s humanity and are prompted to remember that we all need a helping hand once in a while.
“A colleague in our HR department… noticed a new employee struggling with relocation challenges,” says Reyansh Mestry, head of marketing at TopSource Worldwide, a global employment services agency headquartered in London, England. “She quietly arranged temporary housing and local community resources for the newcomer, ensuring a smooth transition without seeking any acknowledgment.
“I appreciated the HR employee’s initiative because our HR typically handles standard onboarding and paperwork, not personal relocation logistics. By doing this… she made the new employee’s transition much smoother, reducing stress and allowing them to settle in and focus on their new role more quickly,” he adds.
Keep your coworkers’ personal affairs private
If you happen to know something personal that happened to a colleague outside the office, don’t spread the news without their permission.
For example, Roman Zrazhevskiy, founder and CEO of Mira Safety, a national manufacturer of gas masks, hazmat suits and tactical gear, shares that one of his employees once “noticed a neighbor’s house on fire late at night. Without hesitation, they called 911 and assisted the family to safety. They never mentioned it at work, but I found out through a local news story. This act demonstrated their commitment to others and their ability to remain calm under pressure.”
Even in scenarios that are less severe than a house fire, helping colleagues to the best of your ability outside of work—and keeping those concerns private in the office—is as classy as it gets and a remarkable way to be of service to another.
Slow down
We all get carried away by the rush of daily life, especially at work. As a result, we may potentially breeze past opportunities to make a lasting change or an impact in others’ lives with small acts of kindness. Shawn Plummer, CRPC, founder and CEO of The Annuity Expert in Atlanta, noticed this a few years ago when a junior analyst stopped to provide extra help to an elderly couple.
“Instead of just referring them to customer service, she spent an extra hour explaining every detail, ensuring they felt comfortable and informed. She didn’t seek recognition; she just wanted to help,” he says. “She invited them to sit with her in a quiet area [and] patiently walked them through each section of the contract, answering all their questions and explaining complex financial and investment terms in simple language. She made sure they understood their options and felt confident in their decisions. This level of care and dedication stood out because it demonstrated her genuine commitment to helping clients.”
Offer emotional support
While most of us aren’t psychologists, we can sometimes lend an ear to someone who is having a hard time and can even connect them with additional help as needed.
A great example of this comes from Jeffrey Zhou, CEO and co-founder of Fig Loans, headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas. According to Zhou, “One of our customer service representatives… went above and beyond for a customer in need. She discovered that this customer was struggling not just financially but also emotionally, so she took it upon herself to provide extra support. [She] sent personalized notes of encouragement and connected the customer with local resources for emotional support, all without seeking any recognition.”
Though colleagues shouldn’t ever try to replace professional help, especially in severe mental health emergencies, listening intently and connecting coworkers with the right next step could assist them in finding the vital support they need.
Pay it forward
Hilary Reiter Azzaretti, founder and president of Redhead Marketing & PR in Park City, Utah, used to be a director at an ad agency when the Great Recession hit. In spite of losing all of their clients except one, her boss continued to pay her—for a whole year. She was moved by his dedication to his team. Years later, she was able to pay him back when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness and told he had just months to live.
“I visited him several days a week to provide company, food and care. He had been single and childless, and his siblings weren’t local. After he learned of his disease, he apologized profusely that his condition would soon prevent him from working on a project I had brought him in on this time,” she says. “This demonstrated how he was more concerned with others than he was with his own well-being, whether it be financial or physical. [He] was a creative genius, intellectually brilliant and so giving without even realizing it.”
Cultivate a kind workplace culture
Cultivating a workplace culture that promotes kindness and compassion for others doesn’t happen overnight—and it doesn’t happen by accident, either. Leaders might have to be the first to initiate these small acts of kindness at work to encourage their employees to do the same.
You can give it a try yourself by taking notice of your colleagues’ needs—both spoken and unspoken—and identifying what might help them the most. They may even return the favor someday when you really need it. Regardless, you’ll leave work that day feeling more fulfilled than you would from any pay bump or public accolade.
Photo by PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Courtesy of Shutterstock
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