Spreading kindness at work one card at a time

What makes a positive employee experience?

That was the question human resource executive and Waltham native Jamie Graceffa had to answer when he was put in charge of culture and inclusion at his company in 2020.

Based on his personal experience and some investigation, it became clear: how we’re treated by the people we work for, and the people we work with, makes all the difference. In other words, kindness counts.

“There’s too much time and money being spent on programs today and not enough on behavior,” Graceffa said. “Kindness is a skill, and some people are better at it than others, but it can be taught.”

The problem is that a culture of kindness is not on a profit and loss statement. There’s no real line item on treating people with respect and compassion, but there should be as it’s one of the most silent influences of the success of a business, according to Graceffa.

With that in mind, he looked around for a tool that could help him teach, coach and remind people what kindness at work is and what it could look like — and found nothing. So he created his own. 

“It came to me to write a deck of cards,” Graceffa said. “We’re a TikTok society and want quick information. I thought this would work since you can take them with you, write on them and have them right at hand.”

Kind Cards is a set of 54 cards designed to enhance and promote kindness skills. Each card outlines a unique act of kindness, along with its benefits, practical tips, and suggested scripts. On the back of each card are reflection questions, with space for people to write down and record their experiences.

The result is a low-tech, personal and literally hands-on approach to spreading positivity that can be used in team activities, training, meetings and one-on-one check-ins.

The idea caught on. Kind Cards have been adopted by HR leaders in companies across Massachusetts. More than 800 boxes have been sold since they became available in August 2024.

“Kindness and other behaviors that serve an organization should be present and threaded throughout all talent management and culture initiatives,” according to Graceffa. “Reward employees who model kindness. Offer help to those who don’t. That’s where the cards come in.”

Graceffa is a long-time resident of Waltham. He is an HR leader with nearly 30 years of experience in organizational development and currently serves as vice president of talent development and employee experience at Quanterix in Billerica.

Kind Cards are available on his website and also via Amazon.