We’re Not Our Job Title
We are more than our job title.
We are comedians, dirt bike racers, gardeners, parents, chess champions, Olympians, “crazy cat ladies”, roller skaters, jazz musicians, vegan chefs, and Smurf figurine collectors.
We know that work requires us to stay “heads down” and project-focused a lot of the time – we have deadlines to make and budgets to keep, right? While this relentless pursuit of completion never seems to end, what always seems to happen is a progressive disconnection from the people around us…the talented diverse, and interesting crew of characters who are our leaders and colleagues. In this frame of mind we also become cut off from the company’s mission, vision and values – which are the real reason we chose to work here.
2,087 hours per year is waaay to much time to spend with your co-workers to not trust, appreciate, or be connected with them. Especially because, it’s our team’s COMBINED strengths and efforts that drive the success of the business.
Let’s shake things up a bit. Get out of your comfort zone, step into dynamic shared environments, start conversations that aren’t defined by work. How? Invite your manager to take a walk during lunch, grab drinks with your co-workers before hopping on the train after work or allot 2-3 hours for an all-in culture building event for your department. Little outings like this allow authentic work-relationships to take root. When friendship and professional appreciation for others are a core part of workplace culture employees will be happier, stay longer and accomplish so much more.