Follow these tips to build meaningful moments for patients and colleagues.

For most people, the COVID-19 pandemic created ongoing barriers to simple, everyday kindnesses. Common courtesies such as “Hi,” “How are you?” or “Excuse me,” have been limited by masks, which constrain communication and inhibit our ability to read each other’s emotions. If you feel like these limitations have taken the sparkle out of your daily practice interactions, you are not alone! Fortunately, delivering excellent care can be as simple as rekindling kindness among your clients and colleagues. Here are some tips for how to infuse compassion into your daily interactions.

Give the VIP treatment

If your office uses encounter forms that travel with patients throughout their visit, use different colored paper to differentiate between who is new or established. This way, you and your team will be able to clearly recognize a new patient as he or she walks by. If given the opportunity, you can say, “Welcome to our practice!”

Express gratitude

Another great way to acknowledge new patients is to include a “thank you” card in his or her folder. Make it a best practice for each person and physician who touches the patient (from front desk to checkout) to sign this card. When the patient leaves the office, checkout can drop the card in the mail, sending a personalized thank you. By doing this, you are extending kindness well past your initial interaction.

Show you care

For established patients, placing personal notes in the chart is a great way to facilitate meaningful conversations. Designate a spot for these memos in the electronic or paper format to ensure everyone can find them. These notes can include information on grandchildren or family, special occasions, such as anniversaries or birthdays, careers, or hobbies. By remembering details about patients’ lives, you can develop a deeper, personal connection and show you truly care. Work with your team to come up with solutions that fit into your practice flow and facilitate buy-in.

Be welcoming

As your practice on-boards new staff members, introduce them to the company with an email that provides some personal and professional information. This can facilitate conversation among staff and help everyone become acquainted quicker. Welcoming new employees with a note or small gift on their desk/workspace is another great way to show you are happy to have them. Regardless of what tactic you choose, new teams will be grateful to be greeted with kindness.

Use kind gestures

“Goodwill gestures,” as they are referred to in a blog post from Coburg Banks, a human resource company, from colleagues help others feel warm and appreciated. Some of the top gestures mentioned in the blog post include “a bit of support, a cup of coffee, a compliment about our work, constructive feedback, snacks, and a smile.” Infusing these seemingly simple things into your daily workplace interactions can foster resilience and cheer.

Reward kindness

As your clinic injects a little more compassion throughout the organization, remember to recognize employees who are consistently kind. For example, the practice may instill a rewards program in which team members can nominate their colleagues by calling those who perform their job “above and beyond” the call of duty. You can have staff redeem points for meaningful rewards, such as gift cards, a dinner out, or extra vacation. This program is a great way for you to encourage staff to continue treating one another and patients well.

Remember that managers are not solely responsible for building team empathy and flexibility. Consider how you can encourage your team to infuse kindness into their daily interactions.

Kindness boomerang

You might have played with a boomerang growing up or with your children. If you did, you are aware of a boomerang’s ability to return to you consistently. Kindness is a boomerang that will always give back to you. In fact, “Research finds that people appreciate small acts of kindness as much as larger ones. (Knowing that you are appreciated) can trigger the psychological benefits of kindness,” according to Harvard Business Review.

You do not have to complete grand gestures to make a significant impact on a patient or teammate, and you will feel just as good as the person receiving your kindness. By following these tips and building meaningful moments for patients and colleagues, you can offer a unique environment, one in which kindness returns to you repeatedly. OP