What is Operationalizing Connection?

Folks talk a lot about connection these days, don't they? Yet, when's the last time you heard a cool story about co-workers talking about how connected they feel with each other?

When I'm talking to and interviewing people out there, I hear a lot of pessimism around companies talking about connection, mostly because the workers I'm hearing from say that they really don't feel very valued, and we have all known someone (or many) at work who are adamantly against befriending, caring, or building real connections with those they work with. I personally knew many, and it made work very stressful. They were always judging rather than helping.

Over your lifetime, you probably work roughly 90,000 hours, or one-third of your life, and mostly, that time is going to be spent with other people you see nearly every day. In fact, you'll spend more time with them than with your family and friends who are outside of the job. Sure, keeping boundaries makes sense - but not bringing an open, honest, and caring attitude to your coworkers speaks volumes about your mindset, and sorry, but it's pretty bleak.

I want to work with people who are open to healthy connections and elevating each other. Don't you?

Healthy connection = resiliency (a buzz word replacing sustainability these days). It also means you're willing to walk the talk. It's never too late to change your mindset.

Attached is a graphic, 'Operationalizing Connection'.

It's for you to examine and adjust to suit your situation, to help you find better ways of working together that we can measure. At Limeral Systems, I always have a foot in research. It's used to inform impact brand strategy, sustainability, systems design, and the content that supports it all.

Reach out if you'd like to do a 30-minute interview on how you're incorporating social impact ethos, measuring them, and using them for cultivating a healthy workplace to be in through those 90k hours of life.