Workplace Kindness: It’s Controversial

For example, our recent original research of 211 business leaders demonstrates that companies with strong employee and customer retention rely on lots of points of view in setting direction and implementation, and acknowledge individual and team performance and contributions.

A recent Psychology Today article [6] on workplace kindness examines a number of views and demonstrates how the word kindness itself can seem soft to many people in business. Perhaps with a precise definition and some important context, more people would agree that there's strategic value in workplace kindness. Let’s take a closer look.

Kindness doesn’t mean ignoring the numbers, failing to hold employees accountable, or being a weak and vacillating leader. It is simply showing respect and support for one’s employees. I see kindness working every day in client systems to support innovation and enable a higher degree of commitment, involvement, and engagement from employees. That translates to better employee retention and more productivity.

At Interaction Associates, we hold and practice a corporate value we call human dignity, inside which the idea of kindness is embedded. Simply stated, we honor other human beings and believe in the intrinsic value of people. What’s more, we begin with a posture of respect and courtesy for every individual — which means we assume the best about other peoples’ intentions until clearly proven wrong.

I think it’s important that we don't put a lot of strings on human dignity. It is important by itself, whether or not it creates a difference in the bottom line. We can’t really claim, "People are our most precious resource," and then treat them as a means to an end. And I don't like to think of associates and colleagues as "units of production" or "heads" (as in "head count"). That language, as in "how many heads do you have to cut?" in itself undermines the notion of respect for human dignity.

We all know that corporate values aren't worth the words that define them if they aren't matched with actions — real, concrete, and transparent.

Here’s how we deliver on the value of human dignity:

• We listen for understanding before judging or advocating;
• We ensure a fair economic return to employee owners;
• We give clear, fact-based feedback to bring out the best in others;
• We create opportunities for everyone to develop themselves to their full human potential;
• We take responsibility to speak directly to individuals and create a safe and trustworthy environment for those not present;
• We take affirmative action in recruiting and hiring for diversity;
• We refrain from entertaining one’s self or others at the expense of other cultures, languages, dialects or group differences.

There is no question that practicing kindness — respecting human dignity — also produces great rewards for the business. For example, our recent original research of 211 business leaders demonstrates that companies with strong employee and customer retention rely on lots of points of view in setting direction and implementation, and acknowledge individual and team performance and contributions. These high-retention organizations also report that employees are treated fairly regardless of position or rank, and people in their companies have a sense of shared commitment and responsibility. That’s kindness in action!

In this same research, there is a clear correlation between companies that excel at operational outcomes — such as cost containment and socially responsible business practices — and the fact that people inside these companies feel safe communicating their ideas and opinions with colleagues and peers. These correlations make sense intuitively, but now we have data to support our hunch.

Kindness should never get in the way of setting clear objectives for which individuals take responsibility, clear accountability for work outcomes, and business measurements. But an attitude of compassion and respect goes a long way to creating a workplace where employees bring their whole selves to work, and willingly devote discretionary effort. Try to generate that in a mean-spirited workplace!

To learn more about employee engagement and the behaviors that can support it, please download our free e-Book, Fully Engaged [7]!