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7 Simple Acts of Kindness That’ll Make You Everyone’s Favorite Colleague

When you put kindness at the forefront of all your workplace interactions, you neutralize the viciousness and become someone that other people prefer to work with.

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A lot of bruised feelings remain after last year’s election season. But instead of perpetuating the rancor, the world is ready for more kindness in the coming year. It’s time to rekindle your dormant kernel of kindness and vow to bring it with you each day when you enter your workplace.

Holding political grudges does you no good, particularly when you must work alongside your “opponents.” You end up trying to avoid people on your team, but in the process, you lose access to their special expertise that can make your projects progress more smoothly.

What’s more, when you put kindness at the forefront of all your workplace interactions, you neutralize the viciousness and become someone that other people prefer to work with.

You may even notice that your requests are addressed more quickly than your bad-tempered counterparts and that you become the person given the choice assignments. Kindness is like a magnet that attracts others to you.

How to Cultivate Kindness at Work

Employ these approaches to help you keep your vow to be kind at work throughout these fractious times:

1. Consider Another’s Perspective

Understand that you bring all your life experiences into play when you regard any situation — and, likewise, so do others. For example, experiencing your parents’ divorce will color your impression of relationships in a way that someone from a loving, intact family can’t conceive.

Attempt to understand how others formed their thought process and feelings. Try to appreciate what drives them to form the opinions and make the choices that they do.

2. Be the Model of Composure

When you embrace kindness as a central tenet, you are able to remain calm even while others’ rage swirls around you. Modeling self-control sets a tone that can cause others to decrease their fury and even adopt a more civil tone.

Think of it as though you are holding an umbrella over your head that deflects the taunts or caustic remarks and keeps you apart from the seething storm.

3. Find Ways to Befriend Your Enemies

While the saying “kill them with kindness” may seem an adverse portrayal of your purpose, it has some merit. For instance, if you refuse to take the bait when your most antagonistic colleague taunts you and instead offer to take some of their workload when they’re overwhelmed, they won’t be able to continue parading their hostility.

4. Perform Random Acts of Kindness

Look for opportunities to show kindness around your workplace — even to those whose values land on the opposite end of the continuum from yours.

  • Bring in an extra latte for a frazzled coworker.
  • Hold the door for your workmate with an arm full of folders.
  • Send a funny meme to someone who seems a bit down.
  • Comment on the sweetness of the family photo on your stern colleague’s desk.
    Make a game of finding ways to boost others’ morale.

5. Stand in Your Power – Kindly

Don’t equate kindness with being a pushover. You can show compassion without negating your authority or your impact. When it’s necessary to assert yourself or disagree, you can do so in a way that doesn’t dismiss or denigrate your coworker.

Lead with, “I hear what you’re saying and I can see that you feel strongly about it. Let me just throw out another perspective.” When you temper your persuasion with cool-headedness, people are more likely to listen to and be accepting of your alternative position.

6. Watch Your Email Tone

It’s so easy to write a curt email. But one gruff email begets a harsh reply, and before you know it, you and your colleagues are behaving like circus flame throwers. To avoid sparks:

  • Never send an email when you’re angry. Wait until you’ve calmed down before you craft your reply.
  • Remember that cordiality is the first thing to go, and once gone, it’s hard to get back.
  • Not all issues can be resolved via email. Sometimes, you may need a Zoom meeting or even an in-person discussion.
  • Email is a legal document. Never commit anything to email that you wouldn’t want HR to read.
  • Triple-check your emails for spelling, punctuation, and tone.

7. Be Kind to Yourself

Striving to always go high when others go low can become mentally draining. Pride in your ability to turn the other cheek will only go so far before you start to despair that the world has just turned angry.

When you feel the fatigue of facing others’ vitriol mounting, indulge in self-care to renew your kindness vow.

  • Meet up with friends for a favorite activity.
  • Rejoin your favorite yoga studio.
  • Go to a concert and lose yourself in the music.
  • Do anything that helps you escape from the depths of despair in the face of rampant aggression and hostility. Consider kindness to yourself a well-earned indulgence, not an extravagance.

The Lasting Impact of Workplace Kindness

Once you vow to be more kind, you’ll find that it actually requires little effort to make a big impact. Be an example to those around you that we’re all better off leading with kindness rather than shutting out others because we don’t share the same political viewpoints.

As Plato once said, “Be kind because we are all fighting our own battles.”

Vicky Oliver is a leading career development expert and the multi-best-selling author of five books, including Live Like a Millionaire (Without Having to Be One) (Skyhorse, 2015), 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions (Sourcebooks 2005), named in the top 10 list of "Best Books for HR Interview Prep," and Bad Bosses, Crazy Coworkers, and Other Office Idiots (Sourcebooks 2008). She is a sought-after speaker and seminar presenter and a popular media source, having made over 901 appearances in broadcast, print, and online outlets. For more information, visit vickyoliver.com.

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Success Advice

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Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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