Workplace Pals Pay Off in Productivity

That was the advice to campus stores from Shasta Nelson, author and consultant on creating healthier relationships and friendships, in the CAMEX21 featured session, The Business of Friendship: How to Feel Supported and Connected Even When We’re Apart.

When people form friendships with their workplace colleagues, the business benefits, Nelson said. Employees who say they have a best friend at work “treat customers better and take ownership of problems,” she said.

“Loneliness is not good for business,” she explained. Studies show that workers who feel isolated are prone to lower productivity, a reduced quality of work, more missed days, and a higher turnover. “Seventy percent of happiness comes down to relationships,” she said.

“It’s important that we talk about this more,” Nelson stressed. While some managers may view employee friendships as strictly an after-work matter, Nelson pointed out that personal relationships can help employees deal more effectively with stressful moments on the job.

“The workplace is where you spend most of your time,” she said, noting, “Co-workers witness us in ways no others witness us.”

Feeling lonely and disconnected can have an impact on both mental and physical health. “If we feel ongoing loneliness, it’s as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” Nelson said.

In the past year, the coronavirus pandemic forced many colleges and universities to send students home. At many campus stores, employees were laid off or furloughed, and the rest had to work from home or go to the store in shifts to avoid physical contact. “You can be on campus and still feeling lonely, if you’re not getting the right connection,” Nelson said.

It’s also impacting students, possibly even more than campus staff. Nelson said a recent Boston University study showed two-thirds of college students are feeling lonely and isolated during the pandemic. “This year has been really hard on relationships,” Nelson said. “School is where relationships happen.”

How can store managers help foster closer relationships among their employees, and also assist students?

Nelson said it starts by recognizing the three factors of healthy relationships: positivity, consistency, and vulnerability.

Positivity is “the foundation of all relationships. We want to feel better, positive emotions,” Nelson said. “How do both people feel after interacting with each other, and what can I do to make the other person feel better?” Feelings such as gratitude, empathy, and hope are also part of positivity. Managers can encourage positivity by asking their team to share what they’re proud of and inspired by.

“Help promote that emotion,” Nelson said.

Consistency—built on shared experiences and a pattern of connection—helps create trust within relationships. Consistency is reinforced when people interact on a regular basis, which may be difficult right now if your physical store is still closed. “You don’t have a natural proximity that helps us bump into each other,” Nelson noted.

Consider using tech tools such as Zoom to schedule casual check-ins with employees, possibly with a fun aspect.

Vulnerability involves a willingness to express personal thoughts and feelings to gain acceptance, “sharing who we are, what makes us us,” Nelson said. Relationships need both consistency and vulnerability to work, she added. This doesn’t mean that co-workers and especially supervisors must share everything in their lives and on their minds. “It’s OK to have boundaries,” she explained.

Nelson provided extra resources for CAMEX21 attendees who registered for the full conference and trade show package, including brief videos for team-building, guides for keeping friendships after a job ends, sharing questions for team bonding, healthy team-building resources, and a discussion guide for her book, The Business of Friendship. These are available on www.camex.org until May 28, 2021; log in with your CAMEX21 registration login.