"Kindness is a remedy for the heart"
-Narendra Sharma
Hello API Job Corps Centers,
According to the Indeed Editorial Team, being caring and helpful to colleagues at work is important for inspiring teamwork and creating a healthy work environment. Providing support to others at work can build relationships and improve center culture. The Indeed Editorial Team identified five reasons to help others at work. They are listed below and adapted for our Job Corps centers.
Morale: Kindness in offering help when needed can improve morale. When we offer to help others on our Job Corps centers, we role model how to execute our four norms (respect self, respect others, respect community, and strive for excellence). It is a great reminder to all staff and our students on how to create a positive normative culture.
Support: When you support your colleagues, they may be more likely to support you. We all need help at one time or another. Although we should not do kind things with the hope of reciprocal behavior, chances are when we do help someone, they will be there for us as well.
Leadership: Helping others is an important quality for developing leadership skills. Leaders keep an eye open for opportunities to assist their staff and their colleagues for the purpose of developing better outcomes and avoiding unintended problems. Empathy is an important leadership characteristic, and when we have empathy, we are more likely to know if someone is hurting or if they need support. As a leader (and we all are leaders) we step in when needed.
Health: A happy work environment can reduce stress and improve your health. API employees do their best work for the center, the students, and the company when they are happy and healthy. Stress can impel people to make unwise decisions and unhealthiness can produce unproductiveness. It is everyone’s goal to stay as healthy as possible and model beneficial behaviors for our students.
Productivity: When colleagues support each other and work as a team, they are often able to work more productively, get more done, and have FUN! Knowing others have your back builds a sense of ease when work is routine and momentum when work is demanding.
Narendra Sharma in an article entitled, “Why We Should Be Kind to Others” states that kindness is a remedy for the heart. She points out being supportive and kind to others releases the hormone oxytocin, which causes the discharge of nitric oxide in blood vessels. Oxytocin is known as a cardioprotective hormone since it reduces blood pressure. It is good for your heart!
Continue to stay safe and remember the benefits of being supportive and showing kindness.
Dr. Wild