Kindness, gratitude and compassion make a positive difference in the workplace. Kindness is about more than simply being nice or helpful; rather, it’s about actively cultivating a community in which people feel respected, valued, and cared for. Bringing care into your daily interactions can help improve trust, connectedness, and belonging.
A variety of resources are available to support connection and positive relationships. Be Kind Be Well, a collection of digital resources from MHealthy, provides many practical, evidence-based tools and ideas to weave messages of compassion and kindness into your workday and workplace. The Positive Connections program resources offer additional ways to intentionally connect with others by highlighting strategies to promote joy and meaningful moments.
“Relationships require care and attention, and connection is a skill we can always practice,” says Kelcey Stratton, Ph.D., Chief Behavioral Health Strategist, UHR. “By bringing compassion and kindness into daily interactions, we can all help lift up one another. We can offer support to others by setting an intention for a little more presence, patience, and understanding. And in the season of reflection and gratitude, it’s an especially good time of year to express thanks for what you value about others.”
Kindness and gratitude are bridge builders in the workplace, reflecting the values of respect and inclusion represented in the university core values. These supportive behaviors create a culture of compassion and connection. "Building communities based on our core values can foster a shared purpose and a sense of belonging. By using values to guide our decisions and how we interact with one another, we can cultivate trust and strengthen our relationships,” says Carol Lee, Interim Senior Director, Organizational Learning. “Rooting communities in these shared values can help us build and nurture safe and supportive communities and healthy workplace cultures.”
Ways You Can Build a Supportive Community at Work
- Share the Be Kind Be Well resources with your work team
- Engage with the Culture Journey Values toolkit
- Start a conversation with colleagues using the Brief Guide for a Well-Being Check-In for Faculty and Staff
- Practice Positive "Micro" Practices for a Positive Workday
- Check out the 5 Key Strategies in the Positive Connections Program
Additional Resources:
- Explore strategies for a moment of calm
- Learn about a variety of Stress Management Tools and Resources
- Free Confidential Online Screenings for anxiety, depression, and more are available for faculty and staff
Need More Support? We’re Here for You
If you’d like to learn more about mental health services or are interested in support, counselors are available at no charge to you for confidential services. If you work on an academic campus, reach out to the Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office (FASCCO) at 734-936-8660 or via email at [email protected]. If you work at Michigan Medicine, reach out to the Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience (OCWR) by calling 734-763-5409 or sending an email to [email protected].
