If you’re running a large-scale or small-sized business, nothing is more pivotal to growing and developing success than genuine connection. A personal, human connection is key to satisfying clients and driving collaboration between team members.
As businessman Adam Neumann notes, “As the world becomes a more digital place, we cannot forget about the human connection.” Read through the following tips for fostering genuine connection in the workplace.
Establish a Healthy Work Culture
Genuine, human-centered connection is an integral part of healthy work culture, especially in the modern workforce. However, in today’s oscillating climate, business owners and leaders find this to be a relatively daunting task. One of the greatest challenges leaders face in remote settings is creating strong connections.
Fortunately, you can establish a healthy workplace culture with consistent recognition, optimism, empathy, and vulnerability. This process involves relating to others and striving to understand their diverse roles, ideas, backgrounds, values, and perspectives.
Interact Without Expectations or Pretenses
Connection may look different to each individual or team member. Everyone can recognize that genuine connection means more than what a single person gets out of a working relationship—it’s a two-way street.
Business leaders can encourage connection through small acts, such as reaching out and creating opportunities for insightful interaction. Remember, the workplace should be a space where people can interact without facing heavy pressure or false assumptions. Strive to create a safe space for sharing and talking about personal stories or interests. Not every interaction has to be productive!
Ask for Feedback From Employees
Many people attribute professional success to various relationships they’ve built throughout their careers. For this reason, making a concentrated effort to create a deeper connection with others can actually change your career’s trajectory. Those in leadership roles should aim to gain trust and respect from the people they regularly work and interact with.
Requesting positive and negative feedback is another tip for fostering genuine connection in the workplace. Keeping communication lines open can lead to a healthier culture. Actively listening can go a long way in developing meaningful and mutually beneficial work relationships for years to come. With the appropriate insight and approach, those in leadership roles can become better mentors who improve the well-being and productivity of their growing teams and businesses.
