Having someone to talk to who has empathy and an always-ready listening ear is important to almost everyone. Most of us rely on close friends or a family member to fill that role. According to a recent article appearing on the Human Resources Online website, having someone like at work like a “Mom” can also be of big benefit in the workplace.
According to Daniel Baun, HR and Recruitment Manager at the firm Trendhim in Denmark says that one of the reasons why Danes have been rated as being the happiest people on earth might be because they have an office mom. He states that having a motherly figure like Trendhim’s own Lotte Kudsk can make a difference for workers.
According to Baun, Kudsk’s official title of Office Mom is something she wears proudly and takes very seriously. She told Human Resources On line’s Adti Sharma Kalra that part of her role is to remind workers to have good manners and play nice with others. Little things like saying, ‘good morning’ or ‘goodbye’, or remembering to say thank you are crucial.
Because people spend half of their lives at work, Kudsk also believes that it’s all about what she calls the “small things behind the curtain” that matter in the workplace just as much as they do anywhere else. “Everyone at Trendhim is good at their job – that’s why you’re here. I’m here to make sure we move from the screens and messaging apps and learn how to really care for each other.”
It’s all part of an idea that Danes refer to as “Hygge”. It’s the idea of having a place where one feels comfortable, at ease and relaxed. At Trendhim, everyone sits at the same table eating meals that Kudsk prepares herself. “Community and fellowship are important,” she says. “ It’s not about just being good at your job – it’s about liking each other, seeing and hearing each other and trusting each other. Eating together helps encourage that.”
For workers at Trendhim, having someone like Lotte Kudsk there for them at work who reminds them to practice good manners, clean up after themselves, and dare to care for each other is reassuring and makes being at work a more enjoyable experience.