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Greater Good Berkeley notes that work can be difficult and cites a figure suggesting that only 20 percent of workers globally feel engaged. The article presents four practices from Greater Good in Action, a library of research-informed well-being exercises. They are designed to be tried at work with relatively little time.
The first practice is an appreciation circle in which colleagues give specific recognition for one another’s contributions. The second is a set of three questions managers can use in one-to-one meetings: What are you proud of? What idea have you not had a chance to share? What challenge can I help you overcome? The other practices focus on building trust through ability, benevolence, and integrity, and on doing small acts of kindness for coworkers. The point is not that one exercise can solve structural problems, but that repeated actions may help create a more supportive culture.
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For employees, being heard and receiving specific appreciation can make collaboration feel less isolating. For managers, the questions provide a simple way to discover both motivation and obstacles. Trust grows when words are followed by action—for example, when a manager actually follows up on an issue they promised to investigate.
These practices work best when they are not forced rituals or substitutes for reasonable workloads, fair pay, and safe conditions. Small actions can improve relationships, but responsibility for a healthy workplace does not rest with individual employees alone.
💡 Slik kan du bruke denne kunnskapen
- Open your next team meeting with a brief appreciation circle. Ask each person to name one specific action by a colleague and the difference it made. Make participation optional if the group is not used to the practice.
- If you manage people, use the three questions in your next one-to-one. Write down one challenge the employee raises and agree on a specific time to follow up.
- Choose one small, sincere action this week: offer help with a clearly defined task, send a specific thank-you, or keep a promise you made. Check whether the action is genuinely useful to the recipient.