Recently I was engaged in a meeting with a client in an open work space. Her coworker was getting attention due to it being her birthday. Let’s call her Birthday Queen. Birthday Queen loudly exclaims to the entire office, “I love you guys.” You can tell by the looks on her coworkers faces that they too felt the same way about her. Ok it may have been a little awkward for me as the observer, but I enjoyed seeing and feeling the admiration for each other.
Is this behavior appropriate in the workplace? I say – heck yes! I would encourage expressions of love whether that be verbal expressions such as a hearty good morning, thank you, I appreciate you, you are the best, or the actual words – I love you. Disclaimer – of course this has to be done in a safe manner, approprate and respecting boundaries. You can also show love by celebrating those birthdays, anniversary milestones, being positive, awknowledging their experience (are they stressed), or just a simple coffee delivery demonstates love.
Turns out expressing love in the workplace increases an employees job satisfaction and they tend to be more productive. Ultimately leaders must demonstrate love and caring in order for it to become part of your workplace culture. You don’t have to full-on declare love like Birthday Queen, even simple thank you or I appreciate you can go a long way in building a positive, loving workplace. Warning – it’s contagious!
