Give someone the Complimentary Gift of Kindness and Make their Day!
After the tragedies at London Bridge, Manchester & Grenfell in 2017, Londoners were experiencing a climate of uncertainty, fear and apprehension so it was the ideal time to create an uplifting event that could connect the community and restore a feeling of goodwill. Complimentary Kindness was created to connect people and communities in a kind, uplifting and positive way. Our aim is to spread the gift of kindness far and wide by providing a platform for people to give and receive compliments and express kind words of gratitude to friends, colleagues and family members in public places, work environments, schools and universities. The compliments are written out on our compliment slips and given to the recipients as a keepsake or displayed on our compliment boards. Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness, small and large, are associated with positive mental well-being. Giving to others and co-operating with them can stimulate the reward areas in the brain, creating positive feelings according to the NHS well-being guide.
We had our launch event in September 2017 and were granted permission by Wendy Spinks OBE, Commercial Director, HS1 Ltd, to hold it on the Arcade of Kings Cross St Pancras Station. As the Eurostar is the meeting point where people cross paths en route to their destinations, it was representative of `kindness between borders` and demonstrated how we came together as a united community despite the recent adversities. The event was hugely successful and as kindness is contagious it caused a ripple effect and had the power to alter moods, shift perceptions and connect the community in a positive way. Amongst the many highlights were – someone coming out to a family member, a daughter thanking her mother for supporting her through a series of life-threatening operations, and a homeless man who was given a compliment by one of the team and shed a tear because he said that no-one had ever been that kind to him.
Well-Being & Kindness in the Workplace and how It can Improve Employee Engagement
Expressing Kindness with words that have a positive instead of negative impact on employee well-being.
Aside from your annual performance review, when was the last time you felt really recognised as a valuable employee – for something you had done well, your conscientiousness or for being a good representative of your company’s values?
In most organisations, email is the most popular way to communicate so it is not unusual for members of staff to never meet anyone in person from their HR team, outside of their first interviews or induction days. The same can apply to meeting others from different departments within the same company. It is therefore understandable that employees don’t feel connected with others in the workplace and can feel isolated.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, employee well-being continues to be of paramount importance and we are far too often told ‘what we don’t do well’ and could benefit from hearing more about ‘what we actually do well’.
Our Complimentary Kindness workplace activities, for well-being days and events, are a fun and novel way to connect or reconnect employees and teams and make them feel valued and recognised by their organisations. They can also be used as a platform to provide positive feedback for successful projects or team collaborations.
Amongst the many benefits are:
- Staff retention
- Increased motivation
- A connected and positive workforce
- Talent recognition
To keep the compliment culture going in your workplace you can leave our compliment postcards on someone’s desk in recognition of a job well done, post your compliments in the internal mail, send Complimentary Kindness e-postcard and add to your work’s social media to highlight a collaborative and positive community spirit within your workplace.
Who is Sharon Wilson?
Sharon Wilson is an award-winning Life Coach who supports individuals to be their best selves and create happier and more fulfilling lives. Her coaching is designed to help ambitious individuals navigate successful career paths and personal lives. She also supports HR Professionals & People Managers develop and retaining their talent, improving well-being and creating a better work/life balance.
Best Self Coaching is not about competing or comparing yourself with others but about being the best version of yourself that you can be. Your personal best! It is tailored to support individuals on their own journeys of personal growth and development.
It provides a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space where employees can unlock and develop their full potential, optimise opportunities, improve soft skills and increase motivation. It will enable them to identify any barriers to success, find a sense of purpose, progression and actionable direction so that they can bring their authentic and best selves to work.
