Kaleidoscope’s kindness manifesto
We describe ourselves as a consultancy of a different kind. Why? Because our mission is to seek a world that is kinder, more connected and joyful. That mission that runs through everything we do, from recruitment, to the way we treat each other, to the work we deliver. It really isn’t as fluffy as it sounds. Kindness should be at the heart of healthcare, here’s why.
Kindness is core to our mission and it’s a core requirement for working here. Don’t think that makes working here all sunshine and roses. As an organisation there are over two dozen of us, we have different backgrounds, ideas and expertise, so there’s lots of room for disagreement. However, we do all agree that kindness matters and that is why we are here.
And it sounds good. Few people will argue that kindness is not a good thing. But it’s not just opinion, there is growing evidence on the importance of compassion and kindness in healthcare, reports from services where it was absent make for horrific reading. It is also good for mental health. But why choose kindness? Why not something else? Why not fulfilment or innovation or efficiency? I think that for us there are three basic reasons.
- It makes life nicer for everyone.
- It doesn’t cost anything.
- Kindness and compassion lead to better health outcomes.
What does kindness at Kaleidoscope mean in practice?
Here are seven things that do not cost anything and we try to do. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a nice reminder for us how we want to work together.
We’ve adapted these over the last year, so that although we can’t always do them face-to-face in our office, we can still do them. If they seem useful, feel free to share or adapt them to suit you.
If you want a (not very) random act of kindness from us then we are sharing excerpts of ‘Why we revolt: a patient revolution in careful and kind care’. We have 50 to give away, if you want one give us your address and we’ll send it to you.
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