Connecting With Your Colleagues

We've probably spent more time with our co-workers than we have with anyone else, ever. Work environments are very similar to family dynamics; everyone has a different role to play, and you don't get to choose who you end up with. Far from being a bad thing, this presents us with a great opportunity. Social connection is one of the easiest ways to top up your happiness on a day-to-day basis, and with our jobs being a plentiful resource, we've come up with ways in which you can make the most of the time you spend with the people you see day in, day out.

Help Out

Altruism goes a long way both for your personal satisfaction and other people's happiness too - it's a win-win. Offering your help to someone who might be struggling not only gets you a tonne of brownie points, but you might end up learning something too (not to mention you'll feel like a GD saint for the rest of the day).

Be Yourself

We're all mature adults around here, and pretending to be someone you're not fell out of fashion years ago. When others sense that you're being authentic, it doesn't even matter if your interests are different (maybe you like Dungeons and Dragons but your colleague is more of a mimosas at 11am kind of person). Appreciating our unique differences is the spice of life, and finding common ground even sweeter.

Take an Interest

Listening to what other people have to say, whether it's work-related or about their personal lives, should be something we strive to do all the time; there's nothing worse than realising you've spilled your guts about something important to you, but the listener wasn't even paying attention. So don't be that person - when you next see your colleague after they've told you they adopted a cat, went to Morocco last week, or visited their grandma, bring it up, ask them how it was, and show them you care (or at the very least, that you have a great memory).

Show Your Appreciation

We all like to know our hard work gets noticed, and the energy we put out has a funny way of coming back to us (not an exact science, but stay with us here), so make sure you recognise success in others too. It doesn't need to be over the top, you don't even need to do it face to face, simply acknowledging a win - big or small - in an email will do wonders for your co-workers self-esteem (and according to our science, come back around for you).

Spend Time Outside of Work

We're not suggesting you turn work into an inescapable void (we recommend setting boundaries first and foremost), but taking a lunch where you talk about something other than KPIs and target audiences can feel like a breath of fresh air. Realising that your colleague isn't an NPC*, and is in fact a human with a personality is not only mind-blowing, but you might end up feeling like someone really has your back on down days.

.*Non-Playable Character

Final Note

If people aren't really your thing (and trust us, we get that too) at least don't be a pain in the arse to be around. Hold doors open for people, say good morning, and laugh at their bad jokes, because the nicer everyone is, the better our little corner of the world will be.