A good friend and colleague, Lillian Tsai, sent this quote my way last week in anticipation of this learning session from AESOP Fables: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

And this topic of kindness is what we are focused on for today’s Imagine Belonging Vodcast…now…

If you were to write a list of the adjectives you use to describe your workplace, is kindness even included on the list? If so, does kindness rise to the top of that list?

The Oxford Dictionary defines kindness as "the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate."

Sounds easy enough to do, right? It's something that we all have the capacity for, and it's something that can make a big difference in our workplaces.

Why?

There are many reasons why kindness matters at work, and here are three primary benefits to consider when kindness is a shared workplace value:

- Fosters Belonging. Promoting kind behaviors at work can lead to increased safety and trust, which are the foundations for belonging at work.

- Enhances Engagement. A sense of belonging leads to higher levels of engagement resulting in more creativity, connection, and innovation.

- Improves Morale. When people feel engaged and supported by their team, they're more likely to feel valued and remain loyal to their company.

So, if we all have the capacity to embody kind behaviors at work, what gets in the way from engaging in these very accessible and simple actions?

There are three primary barriers that can block our successes to nurture kindness at work:

1. Toxic competition, which manifests when we find ourselves hoarding profit, credit, and power. These behaviors arise when we compete for promotions or raises in an unhealthy manner. In these moments, it can be easy to forget about being kind to one another.

2. Stress and Burnout. When employees experience high levels of stress and even burnout, they're more likely to be impatient and short-tempered, which erodes our sense of safety, trust, and belonging. This can lead to unhealthy conflict and a lack of cooperation and collaboration.

3. Unconscious Bias leads to microaggressions, discrimination, and a hostile work environment, undermining a shared value of kindness. These negative behaviors can lead to people being treated unfairly, even if it is not intentional.

Despite these barriers, there are many things that we can do to foster kindness in our workplaces, and our featured guest, Preet Dev, Co-Founder and CEO of Kind-namic will share some of her wisdom with us. Preet has dedicated her career to reshaping the business landscape by infusing kindness, empathy, and conscious leadership into every aspect of organizational culture.

Together, we will discuss the role conscious leadership and spiritual wisdom can play in helping us nurture kinder, healthier workplace cultures, which has the potential of reshaping the future of work.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Preet, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.