Small Acts of Kindness You Can Perform Anytime

09 Dec Small Acts of Kindness You Can Perform Anytime

The Big Idea: How to make work more enjoyable this holiday season.

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There’s no reason random acts of kindness should be limited to the “outside world” or strangers. In the midst of the holiday season, I challenge you to surprise, delight, and inspire your colleagues with random acts of kindness.

These acts don’t have to require a huge effort or cost a lot of money, if any at all. They often don’t require a lot of time either. All it takes is one small gesture to brighten someone’s day. In no particular order here are a few thought starters:

Ask a coworker a thoughtful question, then listen (actually listen!) to the response.

Nix gossip when you hear it.

Drop off a delicious snack at someone’s desk.

Offer to help with a task a coworker doesn’t enjoy.

Acknowledge another person’s talent.

Open the door for those behind you.

Fill the candy jar on someone else’s desk.

Keep a file of inspiring quotes; send one via email to boost someone’s day.

Invite a new person to join you for lunch.

Notice a coworker’s effort on a project and compliment them.

Deliver a handwritten thank you note.

Pay the bill at a restaurant and buy someone a free meal.

Empty the dishwasher in the break room.

These or other random acts of kindness may or may not make the front page of a newspaper. But this we know for sure: incorporate random acts of kindness into your daily work routine and you’ll find the receivers aren’t the only ones who benefit from your thoughtfulness—you will, too.