3 Strategies for Better Workplace Cohesion
In my time as a web developer for a startup that has grown to become a dominant force in the shipping industry, I have watched and learned from many experiences that can be applied to any workplace.
We like to think of ourselves as fundamentally moral, selfless, and obliging animals. But unfortunately, our base human nature tends to override these higher instincts, and they can damage workplace productivity.
We receive a rude email from management, and this spoils our mood for the entire morning. A colleague asks us for help, and we snap back. Or a new member joins the team, and their dazzling resume and experience makes everyone else in the team feel insecure.
As Robert Greene describes in his latest book, The Laws of Human Nature, there are hundreds of nonverbal signals and behaviours we all emit, and we interpret them in unexpected ways. There may be things we’re unconsciously doing that are upsetting people or creating unnecessary enemies.
Our collective inability to sense people’s moods and adapt our behaviour to their temperaments can be cancer for workplaces, as good people leave for more positive environments and productivity declines since our team won’t work together.
What are some ways we can reverse this dynamic? How can we address these critical aspects of work that are neglected by so many businesses? In her book Radical Candor, Kim Malone Scott describes good employee relationships defined by honest interactions as the key to an effective workplace free of toxicity or unnecessary stress.
Here are a number of strategies that I’ve learned that run quite neatly along the lines set out by both Robert Greene and Kim Malone Scott.
1) Validate Your Employees and Colleagues
Aside from air, water, and food, we humans most desire recognition, and the validation that comes from it. When we work hard on a project for our firm, even the smallest piece of appreciation from the boss fills us with delight and fulfilment.
Unfortunately, many of us are too self-focused, particularly when it comes to the workplace. We obsess about the recognition we receive, forgetting to properly acknowledge the work that our team works hard to deliver. We wonder why people never accept our ideas or take our criticisms in the right way — being likeable goes a long way in business.
Try this, the next time you’re feeling resentful or upset about a project. Instead of feeding these toxic emotions, congratulate a colleague or employee on the hard work they did. Make this a habit whenever you interact with your team, and you’ll gain a truer form of the love and appreciation than your past self ever expected.
Another good tip to try: Listen for when your colleagues recommend some new software tool or approach. We’re used to our recommendations going in one and ear and out of the other. Instead, go out of your way to try that thing, and later say, “Oh hey, you know I tried that thing you recommended, and I really liked it. I think I’ll make it part of my routine.” Watch as their face lights up. That is now a strong working relationship, and your new friend will go to the ends of the earth to help you.
2) See People As They Are
In modern times more than ever, our society tends to place moral judgements on people for their beliefs and behaviour. When an employee reveals that they voted for some candidate or believes in abolishing something that is generally seen as popular, we instinctively feel a pang of disgust and annoyance. We’d never want to work with them, we decide.
You must suppress this instant reaction, because it will only lead to bad cohesion in the workplace. Do you really think you’re tolerant for making such a snap judgement? You’re at the office to get work done, not debate hot topics. As tempting as it can be to snap back with your own beliefs, ask yourself whether it will help or hinder the working relationship going forward.
“But I’m just being honest.” You can be both direct and diplomatic at the same time. Matters of politics, religion, and taste are very sensitive, and prone to spoiling working relationships that were originally quite positive. So the next time you look at someone or hear their opinions, don’t think “What a bad person! No one could possibly disagree with me and be a good or virtuous!”, instead reframe it as “Ah, interesting, I hadn’t seen the problem from that perspective!”
Not only will you show your true tolerance for diversity of opinion, you will become a lot more easygoing, since snap judgements and the anger that often follows both take up a lot of mental energy. Save that energy for work instead.
3) Develop “Mitfreude”
Delegation is one of the hardest parts of team leadership. We pride ourselves on building a product, or some skill around our work. Giving it all away? That seems horrible, like we’re giving up some important part of ourselves.
In fact, delegation is by far the most important part of team leadership. We humans can only deal with six or seven different things at any given time. It’s impossible for us to micromanage effectively, keeping track of twenty subordinates and all of their projects directly.
Instead, we should recognise that the fear behind giving up responsibilities to others is based in a scarcity mentality. Few people truly want to steal our ideas or skills, and we should develop what Friedrich Nietzsche called Mitfreude, or “shared joy”. A genuine happiness for our colleagues’ successes, a joy when we teach a subordinate a new skill and see them use it effectively.
Far too many workplaces lack real trust. Closed-door meetings, restricted access, and micromanagement are rife. Like the scarcity mentality, these all come from a lack of trust in the people we work with. You must recognise that this is a negative for workplace productivity, and likely eating you up inside. Give responsibilities to your junior leaders, train them properly, and trust them to do their jobs.
Will you need to address any lulls in productivity or poor quality performances? Of course. But as long as you trust your employees to do well, and genuinely feel joy when you open doors for them, they will feel empowered to take ownership of their projects and do their best work for you.
Positive working relationships built on trust are the backbone of the best companies. It is the height of strategic management.
If you enjoyed this article, then you might enjoy my new book Social Intelligence, which gives you tips, strategies, and long-term solutions to the common workplace problems of mistrust and poor communication.
