REBA’s inside track: Kindness – the perfect stress antidote

Empathy, compassion, kindness. Three words that we have heard repeatedly mentioned over the past few months. They are three words that were previously not often spoken about in a workplace context.

You don’t need me to spell out how the world has changed during 2020. But if the pandemic has any silver lining, it is that we all have a new found appreciation of each other. We are all in the metaphorical same boat, we all want to protect our families and, ultimately, our collective health is reliant on each of us doing our bit to protect one another.

Back in March the Mental Health Foundation selected ‘Kindness’ as its theme for Mental Health Awareness Week. It was very apt. At the time we were taking to our doorsteps to thank key workers for their efforts in supporting the community. In the workplace, chief executives were hosting video calls in their living rooms and delivering very open and honest communications. Never before had leadership teams been so open.

Since then we have heard numerous stories of how employers adapted and supported staff. Making allowances and introducing flexibility for those who needed it. Many organisations upped their wellbeing initiatives – extending EAPs and virtual GP services to employees’ families – shifted to online get togethers and did all they could to support employees.

As we entered September and the virtual Employee Wellbeing Congress, kindness and compassion emerged as key themes.

In his interview with REBA’s Debi O’Donovan, Josh Krichefski, CEO for EMEA and global COO at MediaCom, outlined how his people-first culture not only supports the concept of a more human workplace, but also pays dividends in business outcomes.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind and member of a panel debate at the Employee Wellbeing Congress on the impact of COVID-19, penned an article for us highlighting the vital importance of being agile, trusting and compassionate during the coming months.

And just last week, we ran our first Humanising the Workplace week on our daily alerts. Our Associate Members described how to humanise the workplace through kindness, community and culture and the vital ways employers can encourage a human-centric workplace culture.

Kindness, it would seem, has become a fundamental element of workplace culture.

As stress levels rise again and as we enter a second wave of COVID-19, I hope that kindness continues, that we remember to support each other at home, but also in the workplace. A little bit of kindness and compassion can be the antidote to stress and pay dividends to employers in the longer-term.

Stay safe.

The author is Dawn Lewis, content editor at REBA.