Many employees and agencies already focus on positivity in the workplace, while others are beginning to find new ways to infuse it in their workplaces. Some employees have shared how they are spreading positivity throughout their agencies, and we felt it was important to share with you!
We hope these examples from state agencies will inspire you. Feel free to adopt any that may work for you.
The Oregon Water Resources Wellness Team made kindness a focus of their efforts beginning in December of 2018. The idea was that by reminding people to be kind to each other and mindful of the struggles that people may be dealing with daily, we can make our office a more positive place to work. Studies have shown positive and kind workplaces result in fewer sick days and higher productivity. The Wellness Team’s hope was, that by allowing each of us to acknowledge and give a voice to how much we appreciate the hard work we all do on a daily basis – staff as well as managers – that we will realize that, while we each have different jobs, we are all in this together.
The framework of the Kindness Campaign was simple. Starting in December of 2018, the Wellness Team placed posters reminding us all to be kind to each other in strategic locations throughout the office. Then the first full week of December, the Wellness Team also began a Kindness Note campaign that lasted until the end of that month. The Wellness Team set up multiple drop boxes stocked with precut, blank Kindness Notes on each floor. The notes themselves were simple, blank on the inside with a place on the backside of each note to place the recipient’s name. An electronic “green” option was also created by collaborating with the Green Team so that field staff could participate. Reminders were sent each Monday reminding co-workers about the Kindness Campaign.
Each Friday morning, members of the Wellness Team would deliver the Kindness Notes to the recipient. The first week of the campaign was a success with over 40 Kindness Notes delivered to staff. The total grew exponentially with 97 notes delivered the following week, and 114 notes in week three. For this first campaign, the Wellness Team delivered over 270 notes!
The Kindness Campaign was brought back again in April 2019 due to multiple requests from employees. The first week of the campaign netted 71 notes. For week two, the Wellness Team delivered 86 Kindness Notes. Week three total was 97 notes and for the final week of the campaign, the Team delivered 130 notes! The April 2019 campaign totaled 384 Kindness Notes.
In December of 2019, the Wellness Team delivered 727 Kindness Notes throughout the month. Considering that Water Resources is an agency of about 165 staff that works out to about one note per person per week! The Wellness Team feels that this campaign has been a success for both the team and the agency. The Wellness Team plans to bring back the Kindness Campaign every December and whenever staff or leadership believes that a little kindness could go a long way!
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The Oregon Employment Department Management Team convened for a 2-day retreat to learn, share ideas, and strengthen connections. Click here to read more!