Applying Micro-Acts of Goodness Inside a Team or Organization

This is based on the post Three Small Acts. A Better Week. (Read it here)

Culture is rarely shaped by big announcements or values written on the wall. It is shaped in small, repeated moments. How people treat each other when things are busy. How problems are handled under pressure. How customers are spoken about when they are not in the room.

That is where micro-acts of goodness matter most.

When practiced intentionally within a team or organization, these small actions tend to manifest in three key ways. People are generally happier at work. Teams collaborate more easily. And customers experience a more positive, human interaction.

For this to work at a group level, one thing matters more than anything else: the acts need to be shared.

Not scored. Not evaluated. Simply seen.

Here is a simple way to make that happen.

1. Set the expectation and the rhythm
Invite the team to practice three micro-acts of goodness a day. Keep the framing light. These are small, intentional choices that make a moment better for a colleague or a customer.

Pair the practice with a consistent sharing rhythm. Daily or weekly both work. Pick one and stay with it.

2. Create a low-friction way to share
Sharing should take seconds, not minutes.

This can be as simple as:

• A short Slack or Teams thread

• A standing agenda item at the start or end of a huddle

• A shared document with one-line entries

• Post-it notes on a wall or whiteboard in a common area

For in-person teams, the Post-it option works especially well. One act. One note. No names required. Over time, the wall fills with visible evidence of how people are showing up for one another.

One sentence is enough.

Examples:

• “Noticed the patience you showed with that customer.”

• “Appreciated the help during a busy stretch.”

• “Thanks for slowing the conversation down when it mattered.”

3. Keep it outward-facing
Encourage people to also share observed acts, not just acts they personally committed.

This shifts the focus from just self-reporting to noticing others. It builds trust without turning the practice into self-promotion.

Over time, people start looking for what is working instead of scanning for what is wrong.

4. Model it consistently as a leader
Leaders set the tone.

When you regularly notice and name micro-acts of goodness, whether verbally, digitally, or on the wall, you signal what matters. This does not require enthusiasm or speeches. Consistency is enough.

5. Connect it back to the customer experience
Customers sense a team's internal tone. Teams that notice and reinforce small acts of goodness internally tend to show up with more patience, presence, and care externally.

The customer experience improves not because of a new process, but because people feel better while doing the work.

This is not a recognition program. It is not a performance tool. It is a way to make the invisible visible and reinforce the behaviors that quietly shape culture every day.

Small actions. Shared simply. Practiced together.

That is often enough to change how teams feel and how customers experience your organization.

Want to roll this out in your company, team, or group? Here’s a handout to use.