What does love at work look like?
Respect
Acknowledging and embracing your colleagues’ differences and rich and varied backgrounds without judgement is a beautiful thing and something we should all strive to practise.
Trust
When respect exists and flourishes in the workplace, it fosters and nurtures trust. Knowing your colleagues have your back – and you theirs – makes for a happier and healthier working environment. It also means people can rely on one another and feel safe in the knowledge that you’re all working towards the same shared goal or goals.
Compassion
Genuinely caring about your team and colleagues means thinking about them, what’s happening in their lives and checking in with them to see how they’re doing when times are tough. Celebrating people’s wins – corporate and personal – also shows compassion and helps people thrive, whatever the situation. When there’s love all around us – at home and work – we feel better, are more engaged and put more into everything we do, getting better results and making more time and space to share the love around.
How can leaders help create a culture of love?
Fostering and nurturing a culture of love and care at work doesn’t cost you or your business anything, but the benefits are priceless. Here are some ways to embody and show the change:
Meaningful care
Showing your team that they’re valued and supported by their leaders enables them to be open and honest with you and will likely improve and increase communication in challenging times. It’s been proven that caring leadership results in an increased sense of belonging among employees and naturally creates a positive return on the investment.
Sincere listening
Active listening – sitting with an open posture, taking notes, showing concern, maintaining eye contact and demonstrating empathy – and taking time to get to know and understand your team will go a long way to make them feel valued and cared for.
Constructive communication
Learning to constructively communicate with people rather than talking to them will help leaders grow and strengthen working relationships. Developing and maintaining a transparent environment where people feel safe and confident to speak up, knowing that they will be listened to without judgement – even in times of conflict – will typically mean teams are more effective and productive.