Social media may make you think everyone has Pinterest-perfect homes and goes on Instagram-worthy vacations. However, we know that’s not true. Those are just a few well-curated snippets from someone’s life. That is not their whole life. The truth is everyone faces different kinds of challenges, whether they be mental, financial, emotional, or physical. Some share their issues, while others prefer to keep it to themselves.
While no one has a magic wand to make all the pain and suffering in the world disappear, you can make a difference. For starters, you can be more compassionate with anyone you meet. The nanny, the barista, the elevator operator, or even the celebrity you see online. Don’t jump to conclusions and make assumptions. This is even more important for people you meet regularly, like family, friends, and coworkers. You may not bump into the same server at the restaurant, but you will see your manager nearly every day.
Here are four ways to infuse compassion into your speech, thoughts, and actions so you can do your part to improve your surroundings.
1. Take the Initiative
If your workplace doesn’t have someone who orders flowers when a coworker’s family member passes away, offer to help. Ask the Human Resources department or your manager to give you a budget to send a nice bouquet to employees who may be grieving. This can also work when coworkers celebrate a wedding or a new baby. It is a small gesture that shows their company is thinking about them. You can ask coworkers for suggestions, making it a collaborative effort.
If a colleague is ill, you could also send them get-well-soon gifts instead of or in addition to flowers. Some hearty soup and bread can be the comfort food they crave as they recover. They will always remember this kindness when they come back to work. It can help with retention and building trust. People often remember those who were there for them when they were struggling.
2. Consider Crowdfunding
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A bouquet is a great gesture but doesn’t help pay bills. If your coworker has recently been in an accident or going through a lengthy medical treatment, get their permission to set up a crowdfunding page. You could keep it anonymous to protect their privacy. But if they are OK with it, adding details and photos boosts credibility. Share the link on your social media accounts and briefly note how you know the person. Every little amount can add up to make a neat sum to help your coworker with the bills that insurance might not cover.
This can also be a good idea if a coworker struggles to raise funds for loved ones in another world. They may live through a war or be affected by an earthquake or flood. This can make you more aware of what is happening worldwide. This is the time to amplify your company website’s “we are global citizens” tagline. Your small contribution may multiply in some other currencies and help provide them with the items they need most in such tragic times.
3. Accommodate Special Needs
You can also show compassion in the workplace by making it more comfortable for people with special needs. Some things, like handicapped-accessible bathrooms and ramps, may be required by law, but there are other things you could implement voluntarily. For example, you could switch on closed captioning on video conferencing so anyone with hearing issues can understand all the participants.
Consider having an on-site daycare or playground equipment if several employees have young children. Parents would love to be able to bring their kids to work and go check in on them during lunch. It might encourage more people to return to work without worrying about daycare negligence. Nursing mothers could also use this facility and not feel guilty leaving their infant at another daycare.
4. Provide Compassionate Feedback
Compassionate, whether in charge of annual evaluations or just giving feedback on a presentation, employees have to meet and exceed standards. However, if someone is going through a divorce or has recently lost a parent, try to be a little more empathetic.
That doesn’t mean work productivity suffers or that clients get to review sub-par advertising campaigns. Give feedback by starting with the positives. Try to provide constructive ways to improve. Don’t just start on a path of criticism in a condescending tone. You wouldn’t want your employees to question their self-worth or organizational role, so encourage them to express if they faced any obstacles in completing the task instead of just asking them why it was not done. Perhaps team members from another department did not provide the articles on time, so the website could not be updated. Please encourage usto be honest and transparent and listen to the full story before making assumptions.
Don’t Forget Self Compassion
Just like charity begins at home, so does compassion. You cannot go around helping everyone else out when you don’t feel good about yourselfWhetherts daily affirmations or somkindoof care, es remember not to forget about yourself. You can’t convince a coworker to go for therapy or book a relaxing facial if you’re overworked and frazzled yourself. Your actions need must you believe in the benefits of the ideas you’ryou suggestn the workplace is filled with compassion, employees feel heard and valued, and overall morale will benefit.
