Fletcher Group Automation Inc.’s Post

I love this. Growing up I lived with my grandmother for a few years. I had to go through her bedroom every night to use the washroom (old house). And every now and then she’d stop me just as I was leaving her bedroom and ask, “how are you doing?” It always meant so much to me because I was otherwise not going to share, and instead suffer in silence. Asking the question for real and just just politely is huge. 👏🏻🙌🏻

Want a thriving team? Ask, 'how are you?' and truly listen. My advice: Dedicate 5 mins in meetings for personal check-ins. A connected team is unstoppable! 💥#LeadWithEmpathy #ConnectToConquer

As someone with a hybrid schedule, I don't usually get an opportunity to connect with colleagues in my department who are on different teams. On remote days, if there is no overlap in the work we're doing, there tends to be no conversation. I enjoy seeing them in the office, but aside from a quick hello in passing, we don't always get to connect there either, because everyone is busy. After reading this article, I'm realizing this is a gap I can fill simply by being a bit more intentional. I will be making a more conscious effort going forward to being better connected with my colleagues.

As a regular reader of HBR articles, I'm slightly unhinged that we need reminded to express care and empathy for our colleagues but despite being technically more connected, in some ways we couldn't be farther apart with isolation, remote working etc. More than that such connection doesn't need a how-to article just authenticity is needed.

Especially if you don't care. Hypocritically pretending to take an interest in your coworkers' life by exchanging false questions against false answers is a reliable way to create false connections.

Yes, this is so important. My team has a tradition to have an ice breaker question at the beginning of every meeting and has gotten to know about our lives outside of work, though we haven’t met in person. I believe that because of this investment in time and genuine curiosity about each other created a high performing team during a stressful time towards a successful massive launch.

We have incorporated an "What are 3 emojis for how you are feeling today?" on our Daily Checkin channel using GeekBot-- and the simplicity for people to just share emojis and not words-- has been really inclusive for some of our team members. It's also great because they don't have to go into the background-- but just seeing the emojis people are feeling for the day kinda gives you the vibe.

It's a nice feeling when you're talking to a colleague and you can tell there's no ulterior motive. They are genuinely interested in how you are. But it starts with you being genuinely interested in how they are. People can tell pretty quickly when there is no authenticity.

It's amazing how a simple OPEN question like "Tell me about your day" can create a sense of connection and foster a more positive work environment. I've found that taking the time to genuinely listen not only strengthens our relationships but also boosts morale.