Fostering Connection & Community on your Team
“Good gatherings can create a sense of community.”
~ Priya Parker
~ Priya Parker
As we all know, remote and hybrid work comes with the risk of disconnection from our co-workers and our community at Berkeley Lab.
Research shows that employees who feel a sense of connection and belonging are more innovative, productive and better at their jobs.
But how do we create that sense of belonging and connection on our teams whether we’re in person, entirely remote or some combination of the two?
The resources below offer ideas, suggestions and tools for fostering friendships, human connection, a shared purpose and greater employee wellness that is essential to how we work together in this new normal.
Good Reads
How to foster human connection in a hybrid workforce - Fast Company
What a Year of WFH Has Done to Our Relationships at Work - Harvard Business Review
“The Value of Belonging at Work,” Harvard Business Review, December 16, 2019
Podcasts
Creating Meaningful Connection at Work - Dare to Lead
Dr. Laurie Santos, a professor of psychology at Yale and the host of the popular The Happiness Lab podcast, joins Brene Brown to talk about what we can expect when we return to the workplace, as well as evidence-based strategies for how we can use this moment to create and cultivate meaningful connection at work.Loneliness and Connection - Dare to Lead
In this episode with Dr. Vivek Murthy, a physician and the 19th Surgeon General of the United States, we dig in on loneliness and the physical and emotional toll that social disconnection takes on us.A Meeting Makeover with Priya Parker - Dare to Lead
A special episode with Priya Parker, master facilitator and strategic adviser, who helps rethink a meeting that just doesn‘t seem to be working.Interview with Priya Parker, Author of The Art of Gathering - On Being
Priya Parker has become the voice of what it means to gather in this world we inhabit now. She is helping remake the “how” of coming together — and more importantly, the “why.”
“At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play….Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn't, and why."
Book: The Art of Gathering
Website: https://www.priyaparker.com
Newsletter: https://www.priyaparker.com/newsletter
Free guides:
The New Rules of Gathering - a free resource to help you plan with purpose for any occasion.
Virtual Gathering Guide: Work Edition - nine steps to make Zoom calls effective and enjoyable.
Today there is an ever increasing demand for engaging experiences that are transformative, actionable and interactive and Play On Purpose is the culmination of 20 years of researching, learning, and developing playful methods for engaging groups. The website includes an extensive library of virtual, hybrid, and in-person activities (ranging from 10 minutes to 30 minutes) that foster connection and team-building by leveraging key psychological principles that drive social belonging (e.g., incremental disclosure, trust generation, etc.) as well as a free video series.
Brought to you from the creators of Play on Purpose, Virtual Connection Labs model and teach how to facilitate connection exercises on your teams. The workshops are 75- min and cost between $15-25. The exercises you’ll learn in Virtual Connection Labs can be applied in a wide array of events, workshops and programs. They are adaptable to various themes, group sizes and outcomes.
Berkeley Lab's Learning & Organizational Development Department
Team Building & Creating Strong Cultures
Team-development is all about building high-performing teams and enabling employees to put their self-development lessons into practice. Use these resources, tools, and recommendations to cultivate strong leadership abilities, interpersonal dynamics, and culture on your teams. This section offers team-based learning opportunities, ideal for supervisors and divisional management to implement with their teams.
We specifically recommend: Dare to Lead Read-along Workbook from Brene Brown, which includes many team exercises to build trust, strengthen relationships,
Tired of Zoom? Check out this list of platforms that offer different ways to gather virtually. Most offer free options that work with smaller groups and other pricing options are listed.
