Embracing Workplace Kindness

Recognizing the Impact of Small Gestures

In today’s workplace, getting lost in tasks, deadlines, and to-do lists is easy. And while we try to maintain a culture of gratitude in the workplace, we’ve become complacent. How many of us say “thanks” at the end of every conversation like we used to say goodbye? “OK, thanks.” It’s not that we don’t mean it, but we’ve gotten into the habit of saying it without meaning.

I’m as guilty as everyone else. On a few occasions, I’ve caught myself ending a conversation by stating, “OK, thanks,” following an impromptu meeting with a colleague who had asked me for help! Why was I saying thanks?

It is curious. While I consider myself a “grateful” person, I’ve never been one to show gratitude gratuitously. And although I’m an avid journaler, I’ve never kept a gratitude journal or expressed gratitude in my journal. Maybe I’m not that grateful after all.

But, a few things worth writing about recently happened in my workplace. A few shining moments where the kindness and consideration of colleagues shone through like beacons of light in my oceanic office space.

As such, today, I want to express my gratitude to two individuals who reminded me of the power of empathy and camaraderie in the workplace.

Showing empathy

The first instance occurred when a loud noise echoed through the office, catching the attention of a colleague. I had dropped a keyboard. Indeed, nothing serious, but the keyboard disintegrated, sending keycaps everywhere. The keyboard made a noise much louder than I would have thought possible for such a small piece of equipment.

The magic occurred a few seconds later. From under my desk, where I was picking up keycaps, I looked up to see a colleague poke his head in the door and ask me if I was OK. It was clear he was looking out for me. This wasn’t curiosity. He wasn’t curious about the loud noise. He was genuinely worried that I may have hurt myself. His simple gesture spoke volumes in a world where “self” often takes precedence.

And then it happened again.

Later the same week, I was having coffee after work with a friend when I received a text message on my personal phone. The message was from one of only a few work colleagues who have my personal phone number, so I decided to read the message immediately. The message said, “Your status is set to Out of Office. I hope everything is OK.”

Our small team communicates well, so this employee knew I would have told her if I was going to be out of the office. She was thus concerned to see my status set to Out of Office unexpectedly and sent me a quick message.

I still don’t know why my status was set to Out of Office. It was not intentional. But the more I reflect on these gestures, the more faith I have in the human race. We may not be a coincidental assembly of individuals. Maybe we are still part of a community — maybe even a society.

Twice in one week

In both instances, I was touched by these individuals’ genuine care and compassion. It’s too easy to overlook these small yet significant acts of kindness. These acts are the threads that weave the fabric of society, or in this case, our professional relationships.

So, I extend my gratitude to those two colleagues (you know who you are) who took a few seconds out of their day to check up on me. Your kindness and consideration have not gone unnoticed. I am genuinely grateful to have such compassionate individuals to work with.

This world often feels rushed and indifferent. It is a world where people say thanks, without meaning, at the end of every conversation. So, it’s comforting to know that there are still people who take the time to look out for one another. Their actions remind us that empathy and connection make us a society, even in our busy lives.

And so as not to finish this with a simple “Thanks,” I say, “Thank you.” Thank you for reminding me of the power of kindness in our workplace and society.