These 4 Super Easy Connection Habits Will Boost Your Work Engagement
Decades of research link strong professional connections with greater work engagement.
According to Gallup, having a “best friend” at work increases our engagement and happiness, both of which are key to career success. Subsequent research indicates that collaboration, teamwork and talented and committed colleagues’ are even more important factors in cultivating positive work outcomes.
While companies are increasingly aware of the importance of facilitating work connections and friendships for heightened engagement, satisfaction and wellbeing we need to get intentional about this at the individual level.
Below are 4 super easy connection habits that are proven to increase your engagement and satisfaction at work.
1. Building Your Peer Network
Let’s say you’re a new employee. It might be your first job out of college or you’re a lateral hire with decades of experience. Either way, use this fresh start to reach out and build your network. As part of your induction, you will have opportunities, virtual or in-person, to meet colleagues and possibly other new joiners. This is a useful peer network, others will want to make friends and connections too. Take the opportunity to introduce yourself, your department, projects you’re working on. This peer network is a great way too to understand other parts of the business.
2. Meeting Key Stakeholders
Ask your boss for a list of key stakeholders you should meet. Set up introductory video calls or in-person meetings. How you manage the meetings will depend on your seniority as well as that of the stakeholders seniority. Having a list of prepared questions is really useful. It enables you to get a better understanding of the company’s strategic direction as well as your colleague’s contribution
3. Broadening Your Connections
Working groups, relevant meetings and training events are other great ways to meet new colleagues and deepen your understanding of the business. If most of your meetings are virtual, as you get to know colleagues better do consider setting up a a short (5-minute) window pre or post meetings for informal catch ups.
In each instance, maintain the contact after the meeting-even a short email saying how much you enjoyed meeting the and an invite for coffee on your next office day. This helps to cement friendships which in turn enhances your engagement and happiness at work.
4. Giving Back by Saying Thanks
Demonstrating gratitude and appreciation at work is key for closer and more engaged working relationships. Do take the time to thank your colleague for their input. Mention specifically what they did that was really helpful and you really appreciated it. If you can, appreciate them in public. This might be calling out their contribution to a project at the team meeting. What can also be really meaningful is emailing your colleague to thank them for their work and cc’ing in their boss. It’s a generous and positively impactful way to show your appreciation.
