People want to feel connected at work – what does this mean for you as a coach?

I don’t know if you’re aware of this but there’s a lot of research that shows that in the ‘modern’ workplace, people want to FEEL ‘connected’.  To be part of something.  If you think about motivation this makes sense.  If we feel we’re an important part of something, then we’ll be more likely to do what it takes to make that ‘something’ successful.

So, here’s a question.  Whose responsibility is it to make sure people feel connected in the workplace?  Is it your job to connect or do you need to be connected by someone else?

This is a tricky one (which is why I’m writing about it!) so here’s a train of thought that might be useful…

• Think about performance and the impact on motivation when people feel connected to the OUTCOME your organisation is trying to achieve (people might feel connected for social reasons, but this won’t necessarily help drive success!)
• Think about how you’ll KNOW if they value this outcome. While you could ask them (and I’m sure they’ll say they are!), you’ll know for sure if you’re close enough to observe what they consistently do to make this outcome happen
• Think about how to build connections based on their impact on performance – how their current skill set will help achieve this outcome (how they connect) AND how you can help them develop new skill sets over time (how you connect them)
• As people can quickly become disconnected, you need to engage with them regularly which is ANOTHER very good reason why effective coaching must be an everyday habit!

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