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More than half of workers in the United States report feeling disengaged from their jobs, which can lead to negative impacts on their well-being, careers, and organizations. Writing for the Harvard Business Review, Rebecca Horan and Melissa Karz explain five simple actions that can help you build meaningful connections and successfully reengage at work.
1. Start or join a collaborative project
When people disengage from their work, they tend to withdraw from others. Withdrawal can also be self-perpetuating, keeping you in a cycle that becomes more and more difficult to break over time.
Instead of letting your disengagement grow, Horan and Karz recommend making collaboration with others a focus. Some ways to do this include:
- Proposing a side project that requires input from different departments
- Offering to help with existing team initiatives, such as testing another team's process or tool
- Organizing informal working groups focused on shared challenges in your organization
- Taking small but intentional steps toward connecting with others can help rekindle your enthusiasm for work.
2. Hold a brainstorming session
According to Horan and Karz, the new year is an effective time to hold brainstorming sessions since many colleagues will be returning to work refreshed and ready to engage. Some ideas that can help you kick off a brainstorming session include:
- Scheduling a 15-minute problem-solving session with a trusted coworker
- Hosting a low-pressure virtual "coffee chat" to share ideas with others
- Holding a "rapid fire" ideation meeting with cross-functional colleagues
- Trying out digital collaboration tools like Miro, Mural, or Zoom Whiteboard for ongoing collaboration without the need for scheduled meetings
3. Ask peers for their perspective
"Sometimes, people outside of your immediate circle can offer insights that those closer to the work might miss," Horan and Karz write. "If you don't typically seek input from others unless required to, you may be missing out on a powerful tool for both connection and growth."
Some tips for seeking out peer input are:
- Asking a coworker to look at an email draft to a client before you send it
- Inviting someone with a presentation style you like to watch your practice for an upcoming meeting
- Sharing the timeline of your project with a peer who is adept at identifying bottlenecks
RELATED resources
- Don't fall for these myths of staff engagement
- Build an engagement strategy that attracts and retains staff
- The manager's guide to engaging staff
- 4 ways to create an environment of trust for your team
- Employee Health and Wellbeing Resource Library
- Increase employee engagement without asking more of your managers
Horan and Karz recommend looking for a coworker who can offer a fresh perspective and framing your request as a chance to mutually learn from each other through brief, focused feedback sessions. Receiving peer input can not only improve the quality of your work but also shift your perspective on your current task.
4. Take time away from your desk
Taking time for casual social interactions with your colleagues, such as a lunch or coffee break, can help you feel less isolated. Studies have also shown that shared meals and other casual interactions provide unique opportunities to build relationships that can't be replicated through formal meetings.
Informal lunches, regular coffee breaks, or even short "walk-and-talks" with your colleagues can all help you break your desk-bound cycle.
"Push yourself to break away at least once a week," Horan and Karz write. "Even short social breaks can have an impact on your mental and emotional energy."
5. Join a community
If you're a small business owner or an entrepreneur who works on your own, Horan and Karz recommend considering joining a networking group or community focused on small business.
Joining a networking group or business community, attending industry events or conferences, or even participating in online communities and forums related to your field can help you develop a support network. Having a support network can combat the isolation of working alone and open up new opportunities for growth and collaboration.
"Purposeful micro-collaborations can decrease loneliness, break the withdrawal cycle and bring back your energy, creativity, and sense of purpose," Horan and Karz write. "The next time you notice yourself withdrawing at work, remember that it can be a self-perpetuating behavior that leads to further isolation. Instead, set an intention to lean into connection."
(Horan/Karz, Harvard Business Review, 1/10)
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