Despite the often-sincere goodwill behind compliments, some of us are nevertheless nervous about giving and receiving them. However, research shows that there are real benefits to being on both ends of a compliment.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we are looking at the hidden power of compliments, and examining how they might have an impact on your workplace and working relationships. 

Anxiety prevents us from giving compliments.  

If you’re being genuine, all compliments come from a good place. However, the natural human anxiety surrounding how others perceive us can hold us back from letting others know how we feel.  

If I tell them I appreciate their work, will they think I’m being patronizing? Will they think I’m a suck up? Worries like these silence us from saying what we feel. We can all remember a time when we held back from sharing a complimentary sentiment for fear of how it would be interpreted.  

However, new evidence suggests that our fears are unfounded, and that by keeping our compliments to ourselves, we are missing out on significant benefits to our relationships.  

Psychologists are paying more attention to compliments.  

In the past decade, researchers in the field of psychology have begun to take a closer look at the power of compliments.  

One of the big ideas to come from studies over this period is the idea of reciprocity. This means, an act of kindness like a compliment allows for mutual goodwill, and generally makes the recipient more likely to follow a compliment with a helpful deed.  

Think of the English phrase, “paying a compliment.” This implies that compliments are in nature transactional, even when we mean them sincerely. Although this may seem like a jaded way to describe compliments and praise, if we break it down, this is a communication tool to help us uplift each other and strengthen our relationships.  

Compliments break down social discomfort.  

Research has also found that actively engaging in giving compliments can disprove some of our social anxieties.  

In studies where participants are asked to randomly pay compliments to strangers or pre-existing relationships, results found participants both underestimated how happy the recipient would be to hear praise and overestimated how awkward and uncomfortable they would feel during the experience. Consequently, participants found the exchanges surprisingly pleasant.  

Researchers have tied this phenomenon to the human perception of our own social competence. When challenged to compliment a friend or stranger, we worry we will not come across competently; whether due to poor articulation or incorrect tone.  

As it turns out, most people don’t care if you deliver a compliment clumsily. The compliment itself makes them feel seen.  

Compliments in the workplace.  

The science behind compliments and the concept of reciprocity is directly linked to the way positive feedback is a powerful tool in the workplace. In fact, it may be one of the most powerful tools employers and managers have at their disposal.  

For example, a study by Intel and Duke University found that verbal praise is a more powerful motivator for workers than even a cash bonus.  

What does this tell us? If you’re in any kind of supervisory or collaborative role in your job, it’s important to pay attention to the language you use. Do you effectively communicate praise and positive feedback? If not, you could be missing an opportunity to motivate and bond your team.  

So how do we pay compliments? 

The answer is: authentically. There’s no need to overthink it. If you have praise to deliver, deliver it.  

At the same time, don’t feel the need to lay it on thick. Over-complimenting may come across as insincere. Avoid this by giving credit where credit is due, and not digging for reasons to pay compliments.  

Stick to the kind of compliments that convey the recipients’ social value, to you, your workplace, friendship, team, etc. 

In conclusion… 

Compliments hold power; the kind of power we often let go unutilized because of our own anxiety in giving compliments. Whether a work, family, or social relationship of any kind, giving compliments to those you value is important. Don’t miss an opportunity. 

For generations, the office has been both an important physical space of work and a symbol of North American working culture. It has dictated our daily lives – the way we work, socialize, and how we represent our working culture in the media.  

However, a post-pandemic landscape has the future of the office looking a lot different than the space that has occupied our working expectations for decades. In this issue of the Pulse, we look at the projected direction of the office, and whether or not it’s truly homeward bound.  

Did 2020 change the office forever? 

Two years on, and it still feels like we are grappling between a supposed return to normalcy and a bigger push towards hybrid work. Can we really return to a traditional office setting? Many believe the answer is no.  

Square Enix’s hybrid solution.  

As reported by CBC, the Montréal location of Japanese video game developer Square Enix has approached the return to office on a person-by-person, voluntary basis. Beginning in September of 2021, it allowed staff to choose to return to the office or remain working from home.  

Of Square Enix Montréal’s approximate 150 employees, a mere 20 are working out of the office each day as of CBC’s report. The employees who did choose to return cited socialization, getting out of the house, and collaboration with colleagues as their biggest reasons behind their choice.  

While the initial office shutdown and transition to work from home presented challenges – as anyone who experienced this transition can empathize with – its current hybrid solution is what’s working best for the employees.  

How do downsized offices accommodate staff?  

Hybrid working solutions, like Square Enix has adopted, often mean a business can save on expenses by downsizing.  

In Square Enix’s case, one solution has been to reduce the number of machines and devices kept in the building. Since staff devices are largely kept at home, there is not a 1:1 ratio of devices to staff in the office. Instead, employees coming into the office book the use of a floating workstation for a given day.  

Believe it or not, there are even applications for enterprises that allow employees to collaboratively book workspaces and schedule days in the office.  

Canadian telco Telus is headed towards a similar setup when its offices reopen this year, with the vast majority of employees still expected to be working virtually.  

Telus’ director of people and culture, Jennifer Anquetil, told CBC that leadership is being encouraged to move toward a workplace environment where “the office is a place to collaborate and meet with team members, on whatever schedule ‘makes sense for the individual and their team.’” 

This will see huge changes for the company which employs 29,000 people across the country.  

What are the real estate implications? 

Downsizing offices might see a change in the way businesses rent or lease properties.  

A typical commercial lease is signed in five- or ten-year periods. So, while not all companies who are looking to downsize their office spaces can immediately do so, many may be finding they’re looking for different spaces or solutions as their lease terms come to an end in coming years.  

What could this mean for the commercial real estate market? Could larger office buildings be sitting empty in the future?  

Not every company functions the same.  

While its important to listen to data and employees asking from virtual or hybrid solutions, your business does not have to conform to what others are doing play for play. As Forbes points out, the future of the office does not have to be a one-size-fits-all solution.  

Going fully or mostly virtual will not work for all companies, especially those with both highly collaborative and highly skilled roles.  

Likewise, Forbes says, “organizations that are more sales- and customer service-centric than many other industries need the human connection that makes their teams stronger and more nimble and promotes career growth.” 

A hybrid model of work is certainly the future of the workplace, but what that hybrid looks like should depend on what is best for your business and your staff.  

In conclusion… 

The future of the office is still uncertain. As many companies begin to downsize, re-imagine, or phase out the traditional concept of the office, others are still nonfunctional without this space. One thing is for sure, working culture is changing, and with that, so will the spaces it creates. 

We’ve all felt burnout, stress, and resentment at work; it happens, and it’s natural. However, holding onto these emotions for too long – no matter how warranted they may be – can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health.  

Without allowing for our boundaries to be disrespected, or ignoring harmful emotions, how can we advocate for our health and work on a mindset that helps us thrive through difficult workplace situations? The answer may be in practicing gratitude.  

It might sound corny, but gratitude has documented effects on our brain, our mental health, and our social and professional relationships. In this issue of the Pulse, we investigate how practicing gratitude in the workplace could benefit us.  

Gratitude changes our brains.  

Over the past fifteen years, there have been several studies on the long term effects of consciously practicing gratitude. Among the results are increased happiness and decreased instances of depression. This has also been found to include those who suffer from mental illnesses. The impacts are actually visible in brain scans.  

Why could this be?  

Practicing gratitude – writing weekly gratitude letters or journal entries, for example – does not solve problems or make issues in the workplace go away. However, what it does do, is train your brain to more easily focus on positive, uplifting emotions such as thankfulness and joy, rather than envy or resentment.  

If you’re having difficulty moving on after a disappointment in your job, or a conflict with your colleagues, this kind of brain training might ease the process.  

How can you practice gratitude?  

Practicing gratitude to help your own health and mindset in the workplace can be a completely independent task, if that’s what works best for you. While it is certainly a good habit to thank your coworkers more often, and express gratitude when you feel it, this can also be done privately.  

Gratitude has the same effects on your brain, even if you don’t share it with anyone. Studies have found  simply expressing the gratitude regularly is enough, even if you, for example, write a letter and never send it.  

The important part here is the expression. Whether that be a letter, a journal entry, a text, a phone call, or a voice note. Just make sure to incorporate the effort of focusing on your gratitude into your weekly schedule.  

One thing to keep in mind is this has to be a habit worked into your ongoing routine, not a one and done activity. Generally, the positive results of practicing gratitude regularly do not occur immediately, but are gradually accrued over time.  

Schooley Mitchell is not paid by, sponsored by, or affiliated with any of the companies or products mentioned in this article in any way.  

One of the wonderful things about the modern world is the sheer scale of technological innovation we get to witness – and 2021 has been no exception. From healthcare to software, this year has seen a lot of new developments.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we reflect on some of the most interesting tech inventions and innovations of the past year.  

Schooley Mitchell is not paid by, sponsored by, or affiliated with any of the companies or products mentioned in this article in any way.