Connections
Several years ago, I drafted a book that focused on the connections that exist in the workplace. While I never finished that book, I’ve gone on to coauthor other books that discuss elements about the importance of connections and included some of that material in The Big Book of HR, The Decisive Manager and The Manager’s Answer Book.
It now seems like a suitable time to revisit the topic of connections. Here are at least four ways for people to connect in the workplace and why they are important:
Employee to the organization
Employee to the leadership
Employees to their coworkers
Employee to their role
Connecting to the organization starts with the employee engagement process. For leaders, it means holding firm to your organizational values, being open and transparent and developing the potential of every member of the staff. Connecting to the organization also includes continually reinforcing the mission and vision of the organization so that your staff knows what you stand for and why.
Connecting to the leadership involves employees developing relationships with at least one trusted leader on the team. Strong leaders care deeply about their staff members and diligently work to create an atmosphere of trust and accountability. They provide the tools necessary for staff members to succeed and instill confidence in the organization’s leaders.
Connecting to coworkers starts with encouraging staff members to build relationships with colleagues within their working environment. Connecting with coworkers allows staff members to have friends at work, provides an opportunity to contribute to the workplace, and allows staff members to have a positive work/life balance.
Connecting to their role involves linking the staff members with foundational experiences including fair and equitable pay, total rewards, learning and development opportunities, reskilling challenges, coaching, counseling, mentoring, and performance management.
As employers work to align the values of their organizations, leaders need to examine other kinds of connections including building partnerships with colleagues and other leaders. When possible, leaders should continually deepen the connections that are necessary to maintain a positive workforce. As connections grow, they will be enhanced by the work the organization accomplishes keeping both employees and leaders motivated to stay connected.
Hope this blog gave you some meaningful ideas, and we look forward to sharing more with you on the concept of connections in the workplace in the future.