Introduction
Connecting employees in the workplace has never been more vital to business success as it is now. Connection helps employees feel recognized and valued, which in turn boosts innovation and employee performance but the reasons go much deeper than that. As organisations grows and orgnizational changes inevitably take place, it becomes harder to maintain connection between employees. That's why a strategic approach is needed to build and maintain connection at work.
Why team connection matters more NOW?
If you feel a little disconnected from things at work, you’re not alone. More and more people are feeling disconnected from the workplace, their jobs, and very notably, their colleagues. Whether your team is remote or in-office, the landscape of workplace culture has changed. Tools such as Microsoft Teams offer a range of options to facilitate a more connected office, but what about employee connection? If you ask the organisation if they have a connection issue, most will say no but according to a poll conducted by Monster, 1 in 4 employees say they work in a toxic environment. In a national survey conducted by Eagle Hill consulting,
60% of employees surveyed reported that feeling connected to their work improved their ability to do their job
58% said it improved the day-to-day quality of their work
55% reported an increased desire to go above and beyond
47% said it better enabled them to deal with customers
48% of workers said a connection to their work impacts their decision to stay or leave their job
However, nearly half (45%) of U.S. workers also believe that their employers aren’t really invested in developing employee connections
How do you create a more connected team?
Despite a number of people who might opt for less interaction at work, whether they realise it or not, human beings rely on connection. It’s one of the contributing factors that led to our species becoming dominant on the planet. Science suggest that loneliness is our mind's way of telling us we are missing something, just like hunger pains tell us we need food. This however is a different type of survival, it's surviving the modern workplace.
Research has shown that, much like our earlier ancestors, relationships at work require two crucial ingredients for success and happiness: social support and access to information. The magic happens when these two are combined.
How is connected employees good for business?
Connection between employees and also to the values of the organisation aligns the efforts and motivations of employees better than any rule book can.
Though better interaction, employees are able to collaborate more. According to research in a Gallup Study Engaged employees show 21% more profitability
More connections also facilitates more pathways for information to resulting in a positive impact on knowledge transfer.
Silo mentality still is a big issue in many companies. Connecting employees across departments helps to break down silos.
When social connection is lower, there is a higher frequency in incidents of anxiety and depression leading to more sick days being taken, and drops in productivity.
Here are three tips from social science to help create an environment at work to foster more meaningful connections:
1. Build Trust
Trust isn’t just something that gets added to the company values list; it’s absolutely key in any form of relationship. Having close friends at work enhances job effectiveness and well-being. A study conducted at Google showed that teams who trust each other perform better because they feel safe sharing ideas. It speaks to psychological safety at work to enable the type of information sharing necessary for innovation. Building trust is easier said than done, though. One concept around building trust is called the "vulnerability loop". It’s the idea that when we make ourselves more vulnerable, it provides the opportunity for the other person to be vulnerable too, as they respond empathetically.
Vulnerability loop : A shared exchange of openness, it's the most basic building block of cooperation and trust.
2. Be a Joiner
When we say that relationships are key to information sharing at work, most people assume it will be the relationships with the strongest bonds. However, research suggests that it’s the acquaintances that actually provide the best access to information since they introduce us to new circles of people we don't have bonds with. In social science, this is referred to as "weak ties," which are invaluable for accessing new information to foster innovation. Engaging in activities outside of daily work, such as philanthropic organizations, sports clubs, or coffee pairing with random colleagues, helps build these weak ties. Research indicates that those with numerous weak ties across an organization tend to perform better and experience more creative breakthroughs. Leaders can facilitate these connections by organizing regular informal activities like coffee pairings.
3. Make Belonging Easier
Humans naturally gravitate towards finding ways in which they belong, whether it is a sports team, a group of gamers, or a style of clothing they prefer. Identifying with groups is a tendency that has been with us for as long as humans have gathered, as it gives us a sense of belonging. However, at any given time, we belong to so many groups that it’s only “human” for some to be weaker than others. Having a strong sense of belonging also contributes to forming meaningful connections with others at work. It’s up to the organization to ensure that being part of the company culture is easy, or employees will join other groups.
Practical ways on how to build more connection at work
The following are tactical ways in which you can start creating an environment using the principles above. Implementing these strategies, you can enhance workplace connections, drive innovation, and create a supportive and successful work environment.
1. Build Cross-Functional/departmental Connections
Pairing for Trust Building: Regularly pair employees from different departments for virtual coffee chats or collaborative projects. This breaks down silos and encourages organic interaction and trust.
Using a Tool: Use a tool like Dewdropz that facilitates pairing directly inside Microsoft Teams, automating these pairings, ensuring consistent engagement and opportunities for relationship-building.
2. Encourage Peer Recognition
Peer Recognition for Building Authentic bonds: Implement a peer recognition program to build a positive work environment. Recognizing peers for their contributions reinforces trust and morale. When it comes from their collegues, then it holds a certain authenticity that cannot be replicated.
Using a Tool: Dewdropz's ShoutOuts feature easily allows employees to recognize each other within Microsoft Teams and align them with company values.
3. Build a community spirit
Belonging through Shared Activities: Organize social events, virtual happy hours, or themed discussion channels where employees can share hobbies and interests and groups. The more community activities that employees get involved in, the easier it is for them to feel connected to the organisation.
Using a Tool: Dewdropz has built in water-cooler topics that get shared to a Teams channels, encouraging interaction and a community spirit.
4. Invest in wellbeing
Creating opportunities for employees to connect on a personal level can enhance overall engagement and satisfaction while helping to reduce the effects of burnout. This speaks to the support structure that is so important in sustainable productivity levels.
Build the business case: Taking care of your people does not have to compete with profit building costs, in fact, there is a growing amount of evidence to support employees having better wellbeing leads to more productivity and lower costs. Try our ROI calculator to build a business case for you.
Invest in tools to improve culture: The culture space has traditionally been left to manual intervention("Wellness day next week, hope you all make it") or reduced to just measuring culture sentiment("Time for another survey team!") but every other part of the organisation is now assisted by tools and technology to enhance action, so too should your culture efforts.
Bonus Tips:
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Conclusion By following these principles and implementing these tactics, organizations can foster stronger team connections, enhance workplace culture, and improve overall productivity. While manual methods can be effective, leveraging tools like Dewdropz can simplify the process and ensure consistent engagement across the team.
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