Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor. I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise, where we help leaders activate performance and engagement without burning out. Whether it's bootcamps, keynotes, or pulse checks, we deliver workshops and programs that drive meaningful change. If your workplace is ready for an activation boost, shoot me an email, rachel@leadabovenoise.com.
So I recently returned from my last flight of the year, and as we were rolling into the holiday season, I will spare you the choice words that come to mind when I think of that particular airport experience. But as I stood in the nightmare security line, this woman in front of me suddenly drops her boarding pass. Yeah, it was like an old school paper one, and I looked down and I saw a bunch of scribbles on it, little notes saying things like power bars and phone charger.
I saw it, she saw me see it, and we both started chuckling. It was just really relatable and we ended up having this great conversation about how we both tend to forget power bars and phone chargers, and it just passed the time for us. Thinking about it later. I had an appreciation for the realization that connection doesn't have to come from these big planned moments. Sometimes it's just about catching the small opportunities to show up for someone and share a laugh or make them feel seen.
I think we need more of this mindset in the workplace amidst the big return to office battles. While we still wade through the great detachment, it just feels like we're missing something essential. So how can we start to build some moments of organic connection in the workplace without relying on overblown policies or global corporate efforts? Here are some things that come to mind for me. First, create a culture of micro moments. Connection doesn't have to be grand.
It can live in the tiniest moments of interaction. And when you create a culture, when these moments are encouraged, they start to add up something to play with. At the start of your next team meeting, ask everyone to share a 3, 2, 1, check-in three words to describe how they're feeling, two things they're looking forward to, and one question for the group, or insert your own goofball rules.
It's quick, it's light, and it creates an opportunity for people to share a little more about themselves in a really low pressure way. No need to share anything deeply private, just a little glimpse into the non-work sides of ourselves. Over time, these moments build trust and open the doors to deeper conversations. Next, build connection around shared challenges. We tend to bond more deeply over our challenges than our successes.
So invite your team to share lessons from things that didn't go perfectly. One fun way to try it is host a failure party. Like ask team members to each bring one story of something that went sideways and what they learned from it. Bonus points if it's funny, but it definitely has to offer a lesson.
This shouldn't be about moments of sloppiness or carelessness, but around intentional risks that you took like times when you tried something new or altered an age old approach and the outcome wasn't a win, but it delivered a message. Not only does this normalize imperfection, but it also gives people a chance to connect over their shared humanity. Vulnerability can be a real shortcut to trust. Next, reimagine rituals for remote and hybrid teams.
When your team is scattered across different locations, creating shared rituals can make everyone feel part of the same story. Here are a few that I've seen throughout 2024. We've got self-care share circles. For the first five minutes of a virtual meeting, each team member shares one thing they did for themselves that week. In the spirit of self-care doesn't have to be about manicur and massages.
It totally counts. If you set a boundary or you did a walking meeting or you asked for help on a big project. The exchange of these ideas and the normalizing of caring for ourselves is a big win. We've got team shared wins spaces, just a shared doc or a team site where we post and save our victories. A quick note from a customer expressing gratitude or an invitation to speak at a meeting, not being shy about our own moments of glory and inviting our team members to celebrate with us.
And finally, handoff notes. Working across time zones can be a challenge, but it also has its advantages. Asynchronous collaboration can be cool. We do our part, we pass it off to someone else, and when we wake up in the morning, progress has happened while we were sleeping, but creating a ritual of passing your piece off to a colleague along with a note, maybe with a theme. This can be a fun way to drive connection.
Like maybe one week everybody mentions in the handoff the best thing that they binged on Netflix, and then the following week we all share a link to the best dog video we saw that week. Just the habit of putting something personal in the note, handing off your work to whomever picks it up next can drive connection up. Next strategy is explore the buddy system. People connect when they feel seen and appreciated for what they bring to the table.
So create opportunities for your team to learn about each other's roles, their challenges and their strengths. Play around with a buddy system, like maybe one day each month, two people buddy up to shadow each other. So maybe Linda from client acquisition spends the morning shadowing Dan in marketing. She pops into his meetings, contributes to or just learns about his key projects. And then in the afternoon they switch.
They can do some q and a and just broaden their experience and their understanding of each other's roles. It's an amazing way to create more empathy for each other while also enhancing our decision making capability. We make better choices that are more well thought out when we understand what the teams around us are doing and what challenges they're facing. And finally, use connection to unlock innovation when people feel connected, collaboration and creativity tend to follow.
So why not tie connection to problem solving? Like here's an idea. Run two truths and a brainstorm sessions. Team members share two truths about their current challenges, and then the group collaborates to brainstorm ideas or solutions. It's connection with a purpose, and it gives everyone a chance to contribute while learning from each other's perspectives.
Connection isn't something you can force, but you can create the conditions where it's more likely to happen by making space for small moments, encouraging vulnerability and sparking curiosity. So pick one of these ideas and give it a try. Whether it's a 3, 2, 1, check-in a failure party or a roll swap, and whatever it is, notice how it feels to invite connection into your day-to-day. Remember, connection doesn't have to begin with executive sponsorship.
We're all empowered to shift our own experiences, so start small and have a willingness to play a little. Join me next week for another great episode. Until then, visit my website@leadabovenoise.com. If your workplace could use an activation boost, whether it's a bootcamp, a keynote, or a pulse check you choose, you can follow Modern Mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Thanks so much for listening and have a successful week. Modern Mentor is a quick and Dirty Tips podcast.
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