It’s Good to Feel Wanted at Work

I spend a lot of time working alone.

A lot of us are like that now, and it can cause problems.

Problems with feeling connected to our work, our co-workers

, our community, our lives.

But we are human, and we are wired to connect.

Literally.

Compared to other species, humans have big brains in order to socialize.

When we do interact even in basic ways, we feel happier (Note: we are especially prone to feeling positive if we know that someone needs us or that we have helped in some way).

So what does this primal human need mean for people in their places of work?

It means that we need to focus on connection. We need to focus on making sure people know they matter.

It means that despite our reluctance to face the inconvenience of returning to work in person (who really wants to spend 2 hours a day commuting when we now know we can work from home?) we need to find ways to explore what it means to be meaningfully engaged in our work and our communities.

During the first two years of the pandemic, I was alone a lot. But after working with thousands of people during the last year and a half and listening to how they feel about their work and colleagues, I can tell you that employees need to feel a part of something together.

As we scale our business and grow our own team I value the opportunity for connection, collaboration, and sharing- in person, even if it’s not every single day.

Today was one of those days for me with @meaghanking.

Is your team feeling connected?

It makes a difference.

Comments or questions? Email me at theresa.bailey@starfishsynergies.com or leave a message on our Facebook Page.