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Kindness? Isn’t that all a bit motherhood and apple pie? Something with the whiff of touchy-feely psychobabble? Not quite the sort of thing that serious busy people need to get excited about. David Haslam explores why kindness isn't just something to insert in your organisational mission statement and then ignore.

I’ve never considered myself much of a ‘health person’. Don’t get me wrong, I care deeply about health. But now I am moving out of the sector (for now at least), I want to reflect on what I’ve learned during my time here.

Covid-19 has thrown us into the arms of new digital technology like little else before. Video conferencing for appointments is no longer a surprise, and the fact that Covid-19 tests (where available) should be booked online seems completely natural. While no one can deny that the rate of change in digital healthcare has increased, how much of this change is likely to remain with us long term?

When did I last listen to an argument and say to myself, “Good point. I hadn’t really thought of that”? As views become increasingly polarised, entrenched and echoed, there is a real need to hear fresh and different perspectives. Kaleidoscope is helping to make that happen.

Six months ago, we brought together more than 100 people from across health and care and beyond to take part in our Super Melting Pot conference. Over two days, we challenged participants to see how the world looks from outside healthcare and to talk about what we don’t talk enough about. 

How do you find out you’re wrong? No, not a rhetorical question. Take a moment, how do you? It is not easy. We’re programmed to want our views to be confirmed. Which is a shame, as there’s no shortage of evidence about the benefits of opening up to different views.

Work is a fact of life for most of us. But if lockdown feels a bit like ‘living at work’ then perhaps it’s time for us to examine the idea that work should be a more joyful and flexible part of our lives.

We do a lot of research and evaluation at Kaleidoscope and we love it. But it’s an area of work that has a reputation for being dry, detached and best left to lofty institutions. Theo Cox looks at five common misconceptions and why we think they need to go.

So will the efficiency of Zoom be the kiss of death for informal office small talk? Hopefully not, if organisations value that sort of staff interaction and find creative ways to make space for it.

The Covid-19 pandemic is seeing a rise in random acts of kindness. This Mental Health Awareness Week, Chloe Hellier discusses what kindness means for Kaleidoscope and why it needs to be at the core of what we do.