Spending time together brings you closer and strengthens your sense of purpose and belonging.
"What game are we playing tonight?" asked Julia, my 10-year-old niece. Each day the answer was different - charades, spoons, dominos, the dollar game, smash ball or our own version of Shanghai rummy. Our extended family vacation never felt as sweet to me as it did this year.
Not even fully aware of how starved I was of face-to-face family affection, I lapped up every morsel of togetherness. Even the seven rounds of Shanghai Rummy. Spending time together brings you closer and strengthens your sense of purpose and belonging.
I found my smart phone screen-time being usurped by IRL (in real life) time together. We had to talk real-time to figure out the daily dinner plan and the post-dinner amusement (aka "the game") for our large group.
Not easy.
While we are related, we are not all the same. It can be hard to come together, consider others' points of view, be respectful and land on a solution all can tolerate.
But hard is good. When you work hard on something (like getting a group to gel), it gets easier. Plus, when you get your group working together, you know what happens? Magic. Trust. Innovation.
Leaders,
What I have learned through my work and research is that when employees take advantage of workplace constructs to connect and engage with others at work in a more personal way, employee performance and retention improve. Plus, those employees develop the IRL business skills needed to lead teams.
Ensure your organization has and promotes opportunities such as employee resource groups and community-based service outings so that they have opportunities to come together to build relationships. Be an active and visible participant in opportunities like these and encourage your leaders to do the same.
Relationships can be hard - especially when people haven't been around one another for some time. But when you work through the tough parts, like agreeing on that one game, you'll find your collective groove. It's at that point that you'll be rewarded in ways you couldn't have imagined.
About me: I am passionate about getting the workplace culture right. I know that cold hard facts combined with compassion is what is needed to motivate individuals to do the hard work that change requires. I help leaders determine what they need to do to modernize their culture and workplace to make it smart, safe and inspiring. I also train people leaders to role model and inspire development of In Real Life business skills that promote camaraderie, relational equity, innovation and belonging.
Key Points:
- Building in-person relationships at work through shared experiences and playful interaction fosters trust, collaboration, and long-term engagement.
- Employee resource groups, volunteering, and informal group activities develop IRL business skills that strengthen retention and performance.