Sparking Joy at Work: Helping Others

Helping others, like cultivating gratitude, is a surefire way to increase not only the well-being of your colleagues but your own well-being, too.

There are myriad studies highlighting the benefits of helping others, which include increased self-esteem, a stronger sense of purpose, a feeling of belonging,  a more positive outlook on life–and a boost of joy.

All of these ingredients are part of the recipe of a healthy workplace where people, teams, and the whole organization thrives. What’s even better is that these behavior-based changes don’t require any monetary investment, but will end up paying dividends if you’re committed to creating a culture where helping others is an essential part of your organizational identity.

Let’s look at some ways you can help others in your workplace–and, in turn, help yourself.

Offer Help

This is deceptively simple. Asking for help is hard. If someone is having a difficult time and they need some assistance, they might resist asking their colleagues for help because they may not want to be vulnerable, appear like they can’t handle their obligations, or risk being rejected. But, more often than not, people are incredibly willing to lend a helping hand.

So, if you see a colleague in need–don’t wait for them to ask. They might be afraid. Instead, proactively offer your help. This can be in a 1:1 space if you have a solid relationship already, or you can frame it as a general offer to help anyone who needs an extra pair of hands. 

Create a Process

If you’re a leader of a team, create a formal process for identifying who needs help, when, and how. This can look like capacity planning or it can be built in as part of regular team check-ins where people share their priorities and what might need additional support. 

When you institutionalize a way to give and receive support, it becomes easier and more natural for people to ask. They also will be able to reciprocate when they see their colleagues in need. It’s a classic win-win, and building this type of mutual interdependence will strengthen bonds, increase a sense of community, and make more room for joy to emerge at work.

Share Praise

It’s important to catch folks doing something good. And when you see them doing good, recognize them for it. Whether they pitched in to help on an important client presentation or they’ve consistently exceeded expectations, sharing praise is a way to help others understand that their work is important and their contributions are valuable. 

In more crucial moments, like performance reviews, making sure people have a good bank of recognition and positive feedback will help them in their promotion conversations. Go on and be the reason your colleagues start a “Kudos” folder in their Outlook. 

Support in Times of Crisis

Times of exceptional hardship are among the most important moments you can band together to help your colleagues in need. Whether one of your teammates was struck with personal tragedy or there is a wider spread problem in your community, pulling your resources together to help will not only assuage the immediate problems, but also strengthen trust in the long-term among your team members. 

Prepare in advance for these situations by setting up an emergency fund employees can donate to or creating a plan to mobilize resources in the event of an unexpected catastrophe. 

Your actions will show you care, and that they can rely on you whether their problems are big or small.

Looking for more ways to spark joy at work? Read my piece on creating connections, and stay tuned for more in the series.

For more insights on work-life well-being, check out Make Work Healthy and my coaching solutions, or schedule a consulting call with me.