Kindness is one of Makara’s signature values. This means that as a company, we try to make sure everyone feels supported, understood, and has fun doing the work that they do. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation sets out to make kindness the norm, at home and in the workplace, which is exactly what we strive for here at Makara.
On a personal level, being kind to others (and ourselves!) results in the body producing more “feel-good” hormones, which give us more energy and improves our mood. It can also lower our blood pressure, reduce pain levels and decrease stress, anxiety and depression. At a company level, promoting and maintaining a culture of kindness improves employee retention, which is good for client relationships, employee wellbeing and retaining the wealth of knowledge and skills in our team.
Feeling connected to others when many of us are working from home can be challenging, which puts a greater emphasis on the need to show kindness to colleagues. Despite this, from my experience here at Makara, it’s common for people to make time to check in, offer support when it’s needed, and celebrate wins when things go well.
We’re also lucky to have initiatives from our well-being society (WELSOC) that bring us all together for a quiz, a pet show, a pumpkin carving or Christmas jumper competition… the list of initiatives really does go on! Our coffee pals chats are also another great way to connect with colleagues you don’t normally work with and help combat isolation across the business.
The culture of kindness at Makara can also be seen through a company focus on wellbeing, be it with our Wellness Action Plan, or our wonderful HR team bringing a different wellbeing theme for us to focus on each month, sharing tips and resources along the way.
On top of this, Makara signed up to the Kindness in the Workplace™ pledge, with the aim of making Makara an even better place to work by striving to incorporate new ways of building a kinder culture. We undertook the pledge to make kindness the norm by:
- Creating an environment where all employees feel respected, cared for, and included
- Offering a safe place for everyone to feel courageous; where they are valued and have a sense of purpose
- Infusing our values with kindness, creating a place where our bottom line is about our most valuable asset – our employees and customers
- Showing integrity and responsibility in everything we do
I feel really lucky to work for a company, and alongside colleagues, who value kindness as a core principle in the work they do. Random acts of kindness day serves as a reminder to keep doing what we’re doing, because offering support and compassion goes a long way and makes a real difference, both on a personal and at a company level. Let’s continue to make a conscious effort to bring kindness to the forefront of our work and personal lives throughout the year and beyond.
For more information about the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, check out the website here: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/