I have written a couple of articles about the Quintessence values. I would like to dedicate this article to the value of kindness and why it is such an instrumental characteristic of our company. In fact, I would go as far as saying that kindness is the keystone of all the Quintessence values.
The Quintessence values are aimed at crafting and sustaining a creative atmosphere, conducive to
- a stimulating working environment,
- an enthusiastically innovative team and
- clients serviced with excellence.
The Quintessence Values of
- Learning and Growth,
- Innovation and
- Excellence
do not however, suffice to create the environment we strive for. This is because kindness is a keystone for a healthy workplace. A business without kindness creates the atmosphere for toxic leaders to operate and toxic followers to follow.
Ensuring an alignment between the Quintessence values and the values of an individual is integral to our interview process. This filtering process ensures that Quintessence is a place where you are surrounded by people who share a common value set, making it highly probable that you like and feel comfortable with your work colleagues. Studies have shown that practicing kindness at work improves productivity, motivation and collaboration. People who are treated like cogs in a machine end up feeling insignificant and results in one of the top reasons for staff turnover: an unhealthy relationship with colleagues and management.
Being kind involves taking action. This is particularly true in today’s business environment where remote working and the associated technologies means we are not actually physically interacting as we used to. Some social cues and non-verbal communication are absent when using Microsoft Teams or Zoom – so people need to make an extra effort to show one another kindness and empathy.
For me personally, the most important point is that I cannot choose to be someone at work and then be someone different at home. How I treat others at work ends up being how I treat my community and loved ones. And that is why kindness is so important.
Feel free to contact me for more information about the Quintessence culture and people.
