At work, the basic instinct is survival. You want your career to progress, and this means putting your best foot forward and staying one step ahead of your co-workers. Where then, is the room for both altruism and advancement in the workplace? Apparently, the two can go hand in hand! Choosing the right types of kindness to implement can create improved morale and productivity, a positive workplace culture, increased teamwork ,and most importantly, can lead to progression and benefits in your own career.
Kindness at work is characterised by a positive attitude and goodwill towards those you work with, which in turn facilitates a culture of collaboration. Workplace kindness is different from others, since you have to put thought and strategy into it. Not only does it benefit your co-workers, but it can also be a critical component of your professional growth. In his book ‘KIND – The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work’, Graham Allcott explores how we can create work cultures that encourage kindness. He argues that, far from being a 'fluffy' or nebulous idea, kindness and empathy are 21st century superpowers, which can transform any organisation into a dynamic environment where people want to work. There are some forms of workplace kindness that you may already be practicing, even if it is at a subconscious level and you haven’t given it much thought.
Mutualism
Mutualism occurs very organically in the workplace, because human beings are first and foremost social creatures who thrive in communities. ‘Mutualism is perhaps the simplest and easiest form of kindness to understand and implement,’ explains psychologist Dr Dheeraj Menon. ‘It’s where you exchange your resources or pool them in to create further resources or results that benefit all parties involved. This is the exact opposite of Parasitism, where only one party benefits at the expense of the other, without giving back anything in return. When we practice mutualism, we’re not quantifying what we give or receive, but instead just offering what is required. It is simply an act of cooperation that goes towards the betterment of everyone else involved.’

Reciprocal Altruism
Another form of workplace kindness that is practiced with benefits is Reciprocal Altruism. The word reciprocal by itself implies that kindness is a two-way street. Here an act of kindness at the workplace is either performed to repay a person, or with the understanding that the kindness will be paid back at some point in time. When reciprocity is involved, is it right to use the word kindness? ‘Yes, because with Reciprocal Altruism, one does what they need to, sometimes even at cost to oneself,’ says Dr Dheeraj. ‘Let’s say your teammate is working on a project with you. Her child is unwell and she needs to attend to the situation at home, but the project still needs to be done. You tell her to leave and head home to look after her child, while you stay back to complete the project on your own. It means more time and effort spent for you, but you’re willing to put that in. However, there is the understanding that in the future when such a need arises for you, and there is some emergency at your end, that colleague is willing to do the same for you. So reciprocal altruism does involve kindness, although it is not unconditional.’
Competitive Altruism
In their 2006 research paper titled 'Nice Guys Finish First: The Competitive Altruism Hypothesis', psychologists Charlie Hardy and Mark Van Vugt documented three experimental studies. Each of these group members was confronted with a social dilemma in which they could either benefit themselves or their group. Study 1 revealed that in a reputation environment when contributions were public, people were more altruistic. In both Studies 1 and 2, the most altruistic members gained the highest status in their group and were most frequently preferred as cooperative interaction partners. Study 3 showed that as the costs of altruism increase, the status rewards also increase. These results support the premise at the heart of competitive altruism: Individuals may behave altruistically for reputation reasons because selective benefits (associated with status) accrue to the generous. ‘When individuals in the workplace act generously or cooperate to create a particular image or a reputation, it may benefit them,’ says Dr Dheeraj. ‘Each one of us competes to be perceived as the most altruistic or generous among our co-workers, because we believe that it makes us look better, and therefore has a positive impact on our career growth.’
Practicing kindness at the workplace can help you build strong relationships with coworkers and teammates, and also demonstrate that you have leadership qualities. This doesn’t mean you have to be a pushover or people-pleaser. It simply means that you strategise, picking and choosing the best ways to be kind, while also furthering your individual career goals.