Connecting with others is at the heart of human nature. Recent research emphasizes that the power of connections can help us be creative, resilient, even live longer. But we can easily overlook the importance of these bonds. As popular writer and researcher Adam Grant has noted, the pressure of tight deadlines and the pace of technology mean that fewer Americans are finding friendship in the workplace. In fact, many of us are further disconnecting from the people we work with: we’re more stressed out than ever, and half of us regularly experience incivility in our jobs.
Forming Stronger Bonds with People at Work
Show your compassion.
October 06, 2017
Summary.
The pressure of tight deadlines and the pace of technology mean that fewer Americans are finding friendship in the workplace. But connecting with others at work shouldn’t be a nice to have. Research shows that having high-quality connections can help us be more creative, resilient, and even live longer. To connect, you need to express compassion by noticing someone’s distress or pain, interpreting it as relevant and important, feeling concern for that person or group, and acting to alleviate their pain. Research shows four ways you can be more compassionate. Notice suffering by attuning yourself emotionally to patterns in your colleagues, and making yourself more physically and psychologically available. Ask open-ended questions such as, “Are you ok?” Tap into what psychologists call “empathic concern” — a warm desire for the other person to be well. And be creative when offering to help others.