Implementing Kindness in Leadership

It is widely acknowledged across the globe that implementing kindness as a business core value and into your leadership style is strategically fundamental for financial strength and business success.

Embedding kindness as a core value

• Enhanced Employee Engagement and Satisfaction: Work environments that promote kindness see a 36% increase in job satisfaction among employees. ​

• Increased Motivation and Energy: Teams operating in respectful and kind workplaces are 30% more motivated and 26% more energetic compared to those in less supportive environments. 

• Higher Employee Commitment: A culture of kindness leads to a 44% boost in employee commitment to the organisation. 

• Improved Employee Retention: Organisations that prioritise kindness experience higher employee satisfaction and lower turnover rates. 

• Boosted Customer Loyalty: Kindness in business fosters strong customer relationships and brand loyalty, with studies showing that 86% of consumers prefer to purchase from brands that support social causes. 

• Attraction of Top Talent: A commitment to kindness makes businesses more attractive to job seekers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, who prioritise purpose-driven work

• Enhanced Health and Reduced Absenteeism: A kind workplace can improve employee well-being, reducing absenteeism and healthcare costs. 

• Fostering Innovation: Kindness supports collaboration and open communication, essential for innovation. ​These statistics underscore that embedding kindness into an organisation's core values not only cultivates a positive work environment but also drives productivity, employee retention, customer loyalty, and overall organisational success.​

But what does this look like in your organisation and how would it be rolled out?

We know that delivering lasting change and building a strong culture relies on not just delivery from the top of the food chain, but a companywide approach to meeting the values and implementing them on every level.

Here at Kiltti we like to start by introducing our clients to our Kindness Charter. A fundamental and practical guide of steps you can take to be kind:

Promote Kindness: Demonstrate kindness to those around you by starting with being kind to yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Share kindness with others as much as possible and ensure it is shared equally and respectfully.

Act Responsibly: Ensure those around you are respected and heard; including all team members and colleagues. Keep each other safe in the working environment and act promptly to tasks where others need support

Practice Patience: To be patient is perhaps one of the kindest things we could do, particularly within a workplace. Take the time to support those around you that may need it and ensure you are patient with everyone, including clients or customers.

Be Positive: In an environment where things may feel negative, it can help you and those around you to stay positive as much as possible. Thinking outside of a situation can help with this. Find the positives, share experiences and learn from anything you can.

Demonstrate Boundaries: Professional and personal boundaries are so important to ensure that we don’t burn out. Applying boundaries to our working environment allows us to be supportive, whilst meeting our own needs to continue working effectively.

Implementing this charter would form part of your commitment to bring kindness into the workplace and would be offered on your company intranet site and employee handbook.

What might this look like in the workplace?

1. Active Listening: Leaders should prioritise meaningful engagement with employees, ensuring concerns are acknowledged and addressed.                         Why? Doing this will build trust, enhance communication, and fosters a culture of openness, leading to increased employee satisfaction and collaboration.

2. Empathy-Driven Decision Making: Understanding the personal and professional challenges employees face enables leaders to create policies that support well-being.

Why? This will result in improved morale, lower stress levels, and increase commitment to organisational goals.

3. Recognition and Appreciation: A culture of gratitude, where employees’ contributions are regularly acknowledged, fosters motivation and commitment.  

Why?  It is statistically proven that employees who feel valued are more engaged, productive, and willing to go the extra mile.

4. Flexible Work Arrangements: Allowing employees to balance work with personal responsibilities enhances loyalty and job satisfaction.

Why? The majority of employees seek a good balance of work life and homelife being flexibe will lead to better work-life balance, reduce burnout and increase overall productivity.

These statistics underscore that embedding kindness into an organisation's core values not only cultivates a positive work environment but also drives productivity, employee retention, customer loyalty, and overall organisational success.​

The real question is, can your organisation afford not to?