We all know we should be kind, right? It seems pretty obvious, but it turns out there is way more to kindness than you might think. That's why we are thrilled to see our team members learning about the importance of focusing on kindness in the workplace.
We are working with an internationally recognized kindness expert as part of our year long initiative that was spearheaded by a group of our community general managers. The goal is to create a culture of exceptional kindness in all our communities for residents and team members.
Linda Cohen, also known the “kindness catalyst,” has been a professional speaker and consultant for more than a decade. Her work is inspired by the time she spent working in a senior living community and the relationships she built there. She has written two books on kindness - 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire and Change Your Life, and The Economy of Kindness: How Kindness Transforms Your Bottom Line.
“Kindness is at the basis of every aspect of a positive company culture from recruitment and retention to morale and burnout. There is overwhelming evidence today that kindness can conquer burnout!" says Cohen.
Linda and our general managers are guiding us as we build a culture of kindness, showing team members the importance of being kind to residents, to each other and to themselves. Focusing day-to-day work through the lens of kindness can alleviate stress and make for an enjoyable experience for everyone at the community.
Kindness is something we can control in our day-to-day interactions by focusing on more heart centered engagements. Our teams are learning about the importance of kindness in a variety of ways, including games like Kindness Bingo and by using Gotcha Cards that residents, family members and team members can fill out when they catch someone in the act of being kind. It's all part of our desire to elevate our culture of kindness.
So, until next time, lets all be kind to each other!