Natalie Ellis HR

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all well and enjoying the HR Acts of Kindness challenges list.

I need help from all of you as I want to do something fantastically brilliant to say a special thank you to everyone who has participated in the challenge. I would love to have a picture of you and your teams holding up a piece of paper with the #HRActsofKindness on it!

Once you have taken your smashing photographs, please send them through to me at: natalieellis084@gmail.com and the surprise will be released on 19th December!

 

 

Whilst I was at CIPD ACE 16, I met a young man on the MOL stand, little did I know that he had been following my blog and he bounced over to me wearing huge monster shaped slippers and introduced himself (this is a true story!). David told me that he felt inspired and really liked watching people get involved with #HRActsofKindness so he gave me some insight as to why he wanted to get involved this time around.

“I loved the idea of what you did last time however due to not really knowing the bloggers and HR individuals on Twitter I didn’t get involved myself. I regretted it after so when the opportunity came around to get involved now I threw myself at the opportunity. I feel there is so much going on and changing in the world we forget to stop and take appreciation of small things that happen such as a colleague making you a brew or a birthday taking place and I feel #HRActsofKIndness is a great way for people to do selfless acts of appreciation and generosity and like the film I seen as a child ‘Pay it forward’ I started it here in the MOL Learn office and now others are getting involved too and just discussing the things we do and the positive attitude I feel heightens within the workplace.”

David is a highly motivated person, who really wants to get involved and make a difference and he’s been up to all sorts, spreading kindness and motivating others which is why David is one of my first Kindness Champions. He’s also determined to step into a HR for a career so keep an eye out for him as whatever steps he takes, he’s certainly one to watch!

 

 

‘The way you see someone affects the way you serve them. The way you serve someone affects the way they see you. Kindness is first seen, then expressed’

Joy Marsden – Keep Stepping

I simply adore this quote from Joy and she has certainly been a strong influence in my mind set since I met her in October at MAP, I’m hoping to continue to use that mind set as I progress through the remainder of 2016 into 2017 and beyond!

We are all aware that the world could do with a lot more kindness right now and with the season of goodwill quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to make a small change in your life to make a big impact on someone else’s.

Some of you are creating giving advent boxes for your local communities, some are passing out compliments, others are some are donating clothes to homeless shelters, arranging Christmas parties, some of you are donating money to charities rather than sending Christmas cards; the kindness just keeps on going!

The idea may be simple but it is effective and I would urge as many of you to get involved and make the end of 2016 memorable for all the right reasons!

What a journey it has been so far, you are all incredible!

Just a quick note to thank all of you in taking part and spreading some kindness in your workplaces and businesses.

Congratulations to David Hawthorne, Janet Webb and Tom Robinson for being crowned the first kindness champions, there are more to come and do keep an eye out for those little gifts I have sent!

Tomorrow is 1st December and I hope you’re all getting ready to prepare your advent boxes as well as opening those calendars! You’re really going to make someone’s Christmas wish come true.

Coming up are some more thoughts on kindness from our HR professionals so do keep an eye out for that later on today and throughout the lead up to Christmas.

Have a wonderful day and keep passing the kindness on!

HR acts of kindness is not just for HR professionals, it is for everyone! I have asked different people from different backgrounds about what is means to them, in this short post, I spoke to Victoria Tretis from My Virtual Assistant Rocks and Sara Tomlin, full time teacher, part time child photographer for her business Urbairns Child Photography.

The thought process around this is to establish how HR can support different areas for the future and for good reason; how can we support the departments and colleagues around us and secondly to establish the expectations of future talent and generations allowing us to be more proactive rather than reactive to our environments.

Victoria 

“The saying that’s served me best in my entire career and personal life is: ‘kindness is how you treat others who can do nothing for you’. I encourage everyone to consider how they can be generous, either time or money, and #payitforward. That could be a postcard to an old friend or perhaps buying coffee for the person behind you in the coffee queue. Whatever you choose to do, the ripple effect of kindness will begin.”

My Virtual Assistant Rocks @myva_rocks on Twitter

Sara

“My personal mantra is ‘Work Hard and Be Kind’. As a teacher of young children I am always mindful to be kind and respectful to children. This not only helps them to feel valued but also models the behaviour we expect to see from them. Increasingly I see this behaviour is not being modelled outside of school so my role is vital in helping children to see the value of being kind.”

Urbairns Photography @urbairns on Twitter