Camaraderie in the Workplace
Tricia Gehl, Boon Coach
I want to be better connected with my colleagues. On any given day, I think about reaching out to a handful of people to either get to know them better or check in to see how they’re doing. Most of us are on endless calls throughout the week, with those calls resulting in multiple to-do’s, leaving little time for us to actually talk to each other and form any type of personal bond. Our good connection intentions often fall to the bottom of our priority list, with work items coming out on top.
The fact that most of us are still working remotely only adds to the degree of difficulty. But we keep trying. We tell ourselves that today is the day we’re going to bond! We say we’re going to get through our calls, quickly finish those to-do’s, then use any extra time we have to catch up with a colleague, reach out to the newbie on the team to introduce ourselves, or check in with our work bestie to see how things are going on their side of the house. Seems easy, but it’s not happening. So, what do we need to do?
Making an Effort
Making camaraderie a priority
Building time into existing meetings to accommodate personal connection goes a long way. During my last two years at PwC, I was fortunate enough to be staffed on an absolutely incredible project. The first five minutes of our weekly team call was always devoted to personal connectivity. Whether it was a meme of the day at the top of the agenda that we all commented on, a sharing of something exciting we had planned for the coming weekend, or a more structured activity, we always took time to connect with and get to know one another before getting down to business. We were a hard-working team, and the project lead (who is now also a Boon coach!) recognized that nurturing the team’s connectivity and camaraderie was essential to the team’s continued success. This high visibility project was a labyrinth of complicated logistics, never-ending deadlines, and multiple stakeholders; making space for human connection and camaraderie had a direct impact on our trust in one another, which in turn impacted favorably how we showed up within our individual roles & responsibilities.
Have some fun (yes, at work!)
When we’re having fun, our guard comes down, allowing us to connect with those around us more authentically. Engaging in fun activities helps teams relax and enjoy each other’s company and lends to getting to know each other on a deeper level. This can be achieved whether in person or virtual. Below are some activities that can be done in person and virtually, with slight variations:
Team Cooking tutorial
● Live option: An in-person cooking class with your team
● Virtual option: A virtual tutorial where ingredients are sent to each team member’s home and the team cooks together on
Zoom Awards Show
● Live option: Leader gives customized awards to each team member based on their personalities and contributions and presents them during an in-person meeting
● Virtual option: Leader creates a slide deck outlining the awards for each team member and delivers it during a virtual meeting
Arts & Crafts
● Live option: Team attends an in person “paint and sip” party
● Virtual option: Canvases, paint, and brushes are sent to each team member’s home and the team paints together on Zoom
Making time for creative and joyous connectivity facilitates trust, bonding, and deeper interactions in the long term.
Getting to Know You
● Pay attention. “How do you know that Mary takes tap class?” a colleague once typed to me in the chat during a virtual meeting, after I asked Mary how her live performance went. “She mentioned it last week,” I replied. Pay attention to the things your teammates and colleagues are telling you is important to them. People want to be seen and heard; recalling and mentioning some of these small details goes a long way in building stronger ties
● Don’t force it. Nothing is more eye-roll inducing or uncomfortable than forced camaraderie. Make the effort, but don’t force it. Respecting that some teammates may only be comfortable with surface level sharing, and honoring that boundary, may be enough to make them feel seen and connected
● It doesn’t have to be a grand affair. Connecting with and getting to know a teammate can be done in small increments. This could be as simple as sending a quick “How was your weekend?” chat message to forwarding an article you know they may find interesting. Bite-sized interactions can yield big dividends
● Focus on the benefits. Think about what you gain by making an effort. Is it deeper connection with teammates that you’re looking for? Is it wanting to have more personal/professional balance in your workdays? Focus on the benefits to keep you accountable in making an effort.
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