Think back to a manager, supervisor, teacher, or mentor who made a positive difference in your life. Chances are, you remember more than what they taught you or the work you did together. You remember how they made you feel.
Seen. Heard. Respected. Supported.
Connection can be easy to overlook in the busyness of a workday, but strong workplace relationships often begin with simple, everyday interactions.
A study by Gallup found that only 39% of U.S. employees strongly agree that someone at work cares about them as a person, highlighting an opportunity for workplaces to be more intentional about building relationships.
Taking a few minutes to genuinely check in with someone is one way to build those connections. It doesn’t require a formal meeting or a team-building activity. It can be as simple as asking, “How are things going?” and taking the time to really listen to the answer.
Small moments matter, too. Remembering something someone shared with you, acknowledging an accomplishment, or simply making time for a conversation can let people know they’re valued as individuals, not just for the work they do.
Building stronger workplace connections doesn’t happen through one conversation. Relationships develop over time through consistent interactions that help people get to know, understand, and trust one another.
Those everyday interactions can have a broader impact, too. Gallup identifies caring managers and ongoing conversations as key drivers of employee engagement, and its research has found substantially lower turnover among highly engaged teams.
Connection is just one part of building a strong workplace culture. Throughout the Strong Workplaces series, we’ll continue sharing practical ideas organizations can use to build stronger workplace cultures, one small step at a time.