It's the 15-minute break which counts the most
"I could use a little social interaction." The Grinch
I was teaching recently to a group of very busy executives. I had a lot of important topics and concepts to cover but I ensured that I stopped on time to offer breaks to the class. They needed 10-15 minutes to use the bathroom, stretch, and or grab a drink or snack to refuel themselves. There was something else at play and I could sense it. They were a group of employees in a hybrid work environment - interacting often but not always together in person. They needed some interpersonal bonding time.
I preached what I practiced later in the day with a course on leading in a virtual environment. In the course, I presented studies on the positive effects and efficiency of interpersonal communication, how that void impacts people and teams, and how to overcome it in virtual environments. I shared what Daniel Coyle shares in his book, The Culture Code, "serendipitous collisions." Coyle states, "Collisions are serendipitous personal encounters that form community and encourage creativity and cohesion. Designing for physical proximity and collisions creates a whole set of effects including increased connections and a feeling of safety."
Many leaders look at employee breaks as lost productivity. Indeed, the 'work' is not getting done but these moments, planned or unplanned, are real gold. Bumping into another teammate in the elevator, meeting in the parking lot on the way into work, or conversing in the break room is where real trust is formed. "How was your weekend?" "Hey didn't you become an uncle last week?" "You look tired."
I served in numerous organizations full of different people in my 27-year Army career and it is not the 'work' I remember. It is the social interactions in and out of the office where I built trust and friendships. That's the stuff that counts.
Bring the team together when you can. Let them socialize. Don't look at it as lost revenue. Give'm 15 or more!
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell