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| DESCRIPTION | |
| When it's lacking: - Socializing on the job is seen as a drain on productivity. - When doing their work, people feel closeted away from the rest of the world. - Relationships with customers and vendors are seen strictly as a business necessity. |
When it's thriving: + Work days are filled with opportunities to build relationships. + People understand the need to build strong relationships with customers, vendors, and other employees. + Employees get the chance to mix with a variety of people. + The workplace is designed to encourage mingling and conversation. |
| EXAMPLES |
| Melinda works as the managing editor of a regional parenting magazine. It's a dream
job, and she likes working with the editor/publisher, who shares the office with
her. Problem is, there are only the two of them -- and no one else to interact with
on a regular basis. She maintains contact with a network of freelancers, but it's
not the same as having an ever-present group to discuss problems, celebrate successes,
and wrestle down challenging projects. "If I could wave a wand and change one
thing about my job, it would be to bring in more people," Melinda says. For years, Paula had dreamed of owning her own business. When she got tired of dreaming, she took action and made it happen, opening a storefront cafe. It proved to be everything she ever wanted in a job -- except for one thing. She found herself making decision after decision all by herself. At first she enjoyed the autonomy, but the good feelings gave way to another dream: "I wanted community." Paula spent more and more idle time looking out the front window -- her metaphor for wanting to reconnect with the outside. She eventually sold the cafe and took a job with an employee union. "It sometimes seems like I work at a social club, and yet we get tons of work done!" At the engineering firm where he's a computer specialist, Jim and his colleagues spend a lot of time at what appears to be socializing. A lot of time! The workplace is designed with open areas to bring people together. "When we need to discuss something, it's no big deal," Jim says. "You'd probably hear a lot more laughing than you do at most companies, but that's just the way we operate." |
| ACTION IDEAS |
| Pick up the phone, or leave your work area, and reconnect with important people you've
lost touch with -- co-workers, customers, suppliers, community members. Make a habit
of reaching out and actively working to build relationships. The next time you face a challenging work situation, reject the urge to deal with it all by yourself. Our lone-ranger culture prizes solo heroics, yet the best results tend to involve two or more people. Any projects on the near horizon? If so, who can help? Get in touch with them now. Create a "community space" that draws together people from different work areas. This should not be thought of as another break room, but as the home for regular dialogues in which employees apply their collective brainpower to current and pending problems and opportunities. Done right, a community space does more than help people get to know one another -- though that's a big accomplishment in itself. It also promotes conversation, collaboration, and a sense of unity. |
| Copyright 1998-2002 by Tom Terez and Tom Terez Workplace Solutions, Inc. P.O. Box 21444, Columbus, Ohio USA 43221-0444. Tel. 614-571-9529..mail@BetterWorkplace.com HOME | 10-Minute Briefing | Free Online Tools | Insight and Inspiration | Laugh and Learn | Buzzword Bingo | Kits, Books, and Tools | Keynotes and Services | Meet Tom Terez | Tell a Friend | Bronze Access |
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