Strengthening workplace connections among teams
As the pandemic has transformed the way we work, creating a normality around remote working, so have our organizational relationships. According to a Microsoft Work Trend Index report, working from home has strengthened internal team interactions, but has diminished interactions with others outside of your own team.
In a recent SmartBrief article, author Julie Winkle Giulioni discusses the importance of cross-team connections, why they matter, and how leaders can connect teams who don’t regularly work together.
When teams don’t connect externally with others, it affects the entire organization. By building organizational connections that were previously distant, a leader is able to enhance the work culture, communication, customer satisfaction, and more. Luckily, leaders can help maintain intra-team connections through some simple strategies. These include:
- putting inter-team exchanges on the agenda so teams are able to discuss their overall tasks and goals;
- establishing a buddy system between teams for regularly-scheduled relationship building and information sharing;
- identify collaborative projects by offering compelling reasons and projects that teams can work on together; and
- offer a rotational experience for employees to emphasize solidarity in the workplace.
By introducing these methods of connectivity, leaders will be able to strengthen internal connections and improve the organization’s overall strategy and performance. If everyone is on the same page and able to seamlessly communicate, leaders will help to streamline processes and increase productivity.
As always, it’s important for us, as leaders, to practice what we preach. If we are investing in our own relationships with everyone in our organization, regardless of title or team, we are creating a healthy and level playing ground for all employees.