Managers who get it see that (excuse the cheesy pun) left to our own "devices," we just aren't connecting. The days of company happy hours where everyone hangs out are pretty much over. Even if people show up to our scheduled bonding session, so many are in the corner on their phones that relationships aren't built or deepened. Managers who get it know better than to leave connections to chance.
At Zendesk, a successful company that builds customer service software for giants such as Slack, they change up their happy hour by getting their execs behind the bar mixing drinks. Curating connection by "turning the tables" gets employees' attention, and it's a creative way to encourage employees to be present. A law firm I visited invited a reporter to come and interview the top brass to add some content to the experience of getting together.
The now-famous best friend study by Gallup didn't find that being in proximity with others (though that's important, too) boosted productivity at work; instead, people have to feel personally invested in their relationships to thrive.
As another of my heroes, Priya Parker, puts it, when it comes to gathering, "a category is not a purpose." In other words, managers need to keep in mind what they're bringing people together for, and it's definitely not milling around together in the same room. It's genuine connection.
I've seen it with my own eyes: Managers who get it will make the employee experience better, which will make them happy.
All well and good, you may say. Values, professional development, curating connections...but what's the impact on the bottom line? "According to Gallup, the top 10% of companies, ranked by engagement, posted profit gains of 26% through the last recession compared with a 14% skid at comparable employers.
I tell audiences all over the country, from companies big and small, that becoming a human leader isn't rocket science, but that doesn't mean it's easy. But what have you got to lose? Managers who get it bring their human to work, which is good for people, great for business, and just might change the world.
Erica Keswin is the author of Bring Your Human to Work.