7-minute read
A monthly post generated from reflective thought and experience
I first read Priya Parker’s lovely, grounding book, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, in 2018. As the world continues to bounce down an uncertain path, I find myself returning to its human-centered ideas and applying them to the workplace, particularly the idea of creating the community you want to be in.
Always, but especially in uncertain times, community supports a sense of belonging and safety. At work, a strong community encourages us to succeed and allows us to develop and express our ideas.
Community offers stability. With technology adoption happening at lightning speed and organizations adopting a “constant change as the new normal” approach, a solid community that supports one another offers stability amid volatility and a place where people can ask questions and learn.
Community feeds retention. At work, people who actively contribute to their co-worker community report higher satisfaction and are more likely to stay with the organization longer. This is especially important now with a tight labor market and continued pressure on human hiring in a globally volatile and increasingly AI-driven business world.
Community contributes to culture. In a new job, we drop into a ‘culture’ and spend time learning the ‘vibe’. This learning is important and a big part of onboarding and the connected listening tour. Once understood, it’s your turn to contribute and strengthen the bonds with your work community by making the everyday connections that shape the work community you want to be in.
We can all work toward a stronger community by prioritizing connection to others. Shaping community is not achieved by declaration, but by everyday micro-connections that allow you to be seen, valued, and to grow.
Micro-connections are just that – small, daily interactions (read as doable) that collectively strengthen the bonds among co-workers. Here are three personal prompts that encourage micro-connections.
Creating Micro-Connections, Three Ways
1) Who can I be useful to today?
Observation is a powerful tool, yet one we often underutilize when we are distracted. The simple act of noticing someone struggling, “I noticed in yesterday’s meeting you were not where you wanted to be on the project. I have 10 minutes if you want to talk a strategy through”, or in need of coffee and offering help is always appreciated.
This goes beyond the rote question “How are you doing?” to address a specific need and make the person feel seen. Being specific with your question, “I noticed in yesterday’s meeting you were not where you wanted to be on the project”, and your offer, “I have 10 minutes if you want to talk a strategy through,” serves the dual purpose of creating a connection and protecting your time.
2) Where can I add my voice?
This is not about taking up space, but about considering the flow of your day and where your contribution would be most useful. Be mindful of your meeting routines. Consider how you show up in interactions; some of us talk a lot in meetings, while others not at all.
If you’re naturally a talker, is what you’re saying moving toward a business objective or filling airtime? If the latter, consider starting with an open-ended question to better understand the landscape before jumping in.
If you’re not typically a talker, challenge yourself to offer one idea, expand on a colleague’s comment, or ask a question that connects to a business outcome.
Changing routines happens incrementally, beginning with listening to ourselves first, then constructively adding to the conversation. Adding to the conversation signals that you value others’ ideas, are interested in their contributions, and support collective problem-solving.
3) What can I learn?
To stay relevant, everyone is simultaneously skill-building for Now and Next. Performance evaluations and job progression have likely outlined the skills to build. Professional development training will get you part of the way, community will get you the rest.
Micro-connections include in-the-moment mentoring to teach and learn new skills. Not a heavy lift, just a short interaction. This idea connects with our first prompt of “Who can I be useful to today?”
Approach, “What can I learn?” as a skills swap beginning with an offer, “I noticed X, and, if you have a few minutes, I can help you with that”, and then asking for help with building a skill, “I also noticed that you are really good with X. It’s a skill I’m trying to build. Can I ask you a couple of questions?”
Offering help and acknowledging proficiency create balanced, mutually beneficial connections.
Showing up, being curious, and offering information and expertise through micro-connections are everyday activities that don’t take much time, yet are key to building relationships, stability, and a workplace community you want to be part of.
Thank you for reading.
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