We’re more connected technologically than we’ve ever been. And yet the need for collaboration and communication grows. In a recent Gallup survey, 20% of US adults reported feeling lonely every day; that’s an increase of 3% on the previous year.
And little wonder. With technology woven into our everyday lives, we can shop, be entertained and dine out, all without the need to interact with another human being.
Social media is anything but social
Comparing ourselves to others makes us feel even more lonely and isolated. We believe everyone else is having a much better holiday/relationship/life than we are, resulting in us feeling even more disconnected.
The workplace is no different. Some remote workers can do their jobs well enough behind a screen without the need to talk to anyone. While many may enjoy this way of working, a lack of connection with our colleagues can, in a short space of time, manifest in demotivation, feeling disengaged, a lack of energy and ambition – resulting in low performance and reduced productivity.
According to a report by BetterUp, almost 70% of employees in the US don’t feel they have enough opportunity to connect with colleagues. Around half (52%) say they want to connect more and 38% say they lack trust in their co-workers. This lack of connection has resulted in an increase in loneliness of 128%, anxiety 107%, burnout 78% and 49% more stress.
To counteract this, some organizations are implementing return-to-work mandates in a cynical attempt to weed out the shirkers (as they see them). A less drastic and more business-friendly solution is to embrace technology and hone our human skills to help us build better relationships.
What can you do as a leader to improve connection and collaboration on your team?
It’s your role as leader to make sure everyone in your team feels included. You may be drowning in messages and meeting requests, but try to make sure you acknowledge every message, even if it’s a quick thumbs up or ‘can I get back to you later on that?’
- Be available, open and willing to listen
Remember, there’s no such thing as over-communication. Reach out to your team at least once a day in whatever way you can – of course face to face is best, but if you haven’t got the time, a quick message to ask how the person is doing will make all the difference.
- Make everyone in your team feel included
Set up daily or twice-weekly stand-ups and reach out to your immediate team as often as you can, both individually and all together. Don’t worry about being an annoyance. You need to check in regularly to gauge how everyone’s feeling.
- Be consistent
Consistent communication is vital. Everyone must know their touchpoint in the process. Use software that facilitates co-working, and make sure everyone has access. Give and ask for feedback regularly and share links whenever you can.
- Recognize achievements
There’s no quicker way for a team member to lose motivation than when their achievements aren’t recognized. Be the first to give encouraging feedback on a job well done and always congratulate team members on reaching their goals.
- Develop self- and other-awareness
By becoming aware of your own behaviors and those of your team, it’s much easier to build connections. By understanding your communication preferences and how they might differ from those of your team, you can adapt, be flexible and learn to meet them half-way.
Get to know your team members’ communication styles
We all like to be communicated with in different ways. Do you know the color energy combinations of your individual team members? In their next one-to-one, ask each member of your team to share their Insights Discovery profile Communication pages for some useful strategies. Also look at the Barriers to Communicating section to remove blockages and keep communication flowing.
The Insights D4 model for giving and receiving feedback
Giving and receiving feedback is an essential part of collaboration. It helps unblock barriers to communication and keeps workstreams flowing. D4 is a great model you can use in one-to-ones with your team members to work through any workplace issues.
D1 – Data
What were the facts? What actually happened? Be factual.
D2 – Depth of feeling
How did you feel? Focus on bodily sensations and emotions.
D3 – Dramatic interpretation
What thoughts and possibilities went through your mind? Share your inner talk. Ask interpretive questions.
D4 – Do
What did you go on to do and say? What happened as a final outcome?
In summary
The BetterUp report we mentioned earlier found that when leaders go out of their way to facilitate connections among their teams they see a massive improvement in their team’s morale and productivity. After all, no one wants to be left in the dark wondering what’s going on or unsure what’s required of them.
Of course, you can’t always include everyone. Some projects will not require the whole team to be involved, and a certain level of autonomy is important to make your team feel they have control over their work. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about everyone who’s involved in a project being clear about their role.
So, remember to:
- Make sure everyone feels involved
- Recognize and acknowledge achievements among the team
- Set up group chats
- Set up working groups where everyone is clear about their individual role
And finally, don’t be too hard on yourself if there’s some friction. You can’t force friendships at work, they can only happen naturally. But it’s your job to do what you can to make relationship-building as smooth as possible. And if everyone gets along and communication is flowing, then your team will be high performing.
