Random Acts of Kindness in The Workplace…
Spread JOY in your organization!

Random Acts of Kindness have become so popular that there is even an acronym (RAKs) for them, as well as an official website! As we all know, these acts of Kindness, aka RAKs, have a positive impact not only on the recipient, but also on the person performing the act. They increase a sense of happiness and boost well-being for both the giver and the recipient, and can even affect bystanders who observe the event as it takes place. Truly, these acts of kindness make the world a better place. While we love seeing your acts of kindness all around the world, we think this is a great opportunity to enhance workplace satisfaction in our schools, child development centers and nonprofits. Let’s make your organization an even better place than it already is by “RAK-ing” the people you work with every day!

The staff here at CSEW are encouraging all of the schools and organizations that we work with to share Random Acts of Kindness in the workplace. What we want to encourage you to do from today through the end of the school year is – perform Acts of Kindness within your school!

RAKs can be very simple – give someone an unexpected smile, or carry their bags into their work space, pick them up from a fall, or even treat them to lunch. What unites these ideas is the spontaneity and thoughtfulness of the act, with no strings attached. Doing these simple acts for your coworkers can have a positive influence on overall morale and productivity.

Studies by Harvard Business School and Clinical Psychological Science, among others, suggest that some of the benefits of RAKs – for both the giver and the recipient – include:

greater happiness
increased self-confidence
heightened energy (doing one good thing will make us want to do more)
longer life (giving to others slows the ageing process)
more pleasure
Reduce depression: (helping others, and feeling appreciated helps us stop worrying about ourselves as much)
Reduce pain (releases endorphins, our natural painkillers)
Reduce isolation: (encourages human contact)
Reduce blood pressure.
Reduce anxiety (giving and receiving lifts mood and decreases social avoidance)
Reduce stress: (Kind people have 23 percent less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age more slowly.)

More and more studies are showing the strong link between well-being and productivity. In companies where there is an emphasis on health and wellness, there is greater productivity, higher morale, and fewer absences and “presenteeism” (when workers show up to work, but don’t perform well). On the contrary, in many companies in which workplace wellness isn’t as important, there is a drastic increase in the number of absences due to mental illness and stress.

In light of these figures, encouraging random acts of kindness appears to be a good thing for any workplace, including our very own schools and childcare centers! Specifically, Random Acts of Kindness in your schools are a great and fairly simple way of:

helping staff to get to know each other better;
boosting morale;
reducing tension and easing conflict;
laying the foundation for a greater sense of community and cooperation in the future.

Schools, child care centers and nonprofit organizations who implement an ongoing Random Acts of Kindness program, or a specific challenge like ours, will reap many benefits of nurturing a happy workplace. These ideas may help:

Bake a cake and bring it in to share with your coworkers – nothing speaks of love like a homemade cake.
Compliment a colleague. Share something about their personality that you like, or something that you admire in them, or the way that they work with the children in your center. You can also compliment their appearance – notice when they have had a new haircut or bought a new pair of shoes.
Reward good work and celebrate successes If you notice a staff member working hard, or accomplishing a difficult task – let them know that you noticed and you appreciate them!
Chat with your colleagues, listen to their concerns and make new members feel welcome. Creating a culture of listening and support can help to ease the stress on individuals.
Post-it Notes or “Candy Grams” – Put a short note to a colleague in their mailbox, door, or wherever they will see it. Include a simple message to encourage them, such as “You do a great job!” or “I love the way you laugh when you’re working with the kids.” Or even simple phrases, “You are Loved!” “You make the world a better place!” “The world is brighter because you are in it!” “I love my job because you work here too.” “You are not alone.” “Don’t give up!” “You can do anything!” If you want to turn your note into a Candy Gram, just tape a piece of (wrapped) candy to it!
Group Picnic or Potluck – Organize a lunchtime, after hours, or even weekend picnic or gathering for
Treat your “clients” – Of course, we don’t really think of the children nor their parents as clients… but you can extend these feel-good results of Random Acts of Kindness beyond your school or center by making similar gestures for the families who are part of your organization.