Not Every Employee Is An Extrovert, But You Can Increase Social Cohesion In Your Office (Collaborative post)

A general rule of thumb is that the most brilliant minds and diligent workers tend to be introverted, or at least prefer hyper-focusing on work to managing the social flow of office politics. 

As a business leader or owner, it’s important to recognize that it takes diverse individuals to help you run your company and to be open to training and harnessing all personality types. The most incredible extrovert and the most heartfelt introvert can both have something to offer, even if they thrive in different work environments.

While you may avoid mandating team-building activities for everyone, or not penalize someone who doesn’t want to come to the yearly staff awards show, it’s far to say increasing social cohesion as best you can is important. An office doesn’t need to be comprised of best friends to work well together, but you may find some value in the following advice:

Provide Mutual Training Sessions & Bonding Opportunities

Training sessions can work well because they give everyone a shared goal to focus on that doesn’t feel like artificial bonding sessions. That’s because people tend to feel more at ease when learning something new together, as the spotlight isn't on their personality but on the task at hand and how to co-operate about it. Some staff members might prefer one-on-one training, but group sessions can help break the ice naturally and are worth structuring around that too, especially for universal skills everyone needs. If you can make these sessions useful first, with any social benefits coming second, generally people will be more courteous with one another. This helps even the most focused workers see value in attending, rather than just tuning out and not committing to the effort.

Have A Clear, Welcoming Onboarding Process

Good social bonding at your firm should really start from day one, and a good onboarding process shows new staff members exactly what they need to know without overwhelming them with social pressure they might have. With personalised name badges, you can introduce them well. From there you can explain how things work, where to find help, and who to talk to for specific issues so they feel a natural member immediately. Making this process clear not only for the newcomer but those around them helps reduce anxiety for everyone, because then new workers know what to expect and current staff understand how to help. Now, you shouldn’t try to make everyone best friends on day one, but to help people settle in at their own speed while still feeling part of the team.

Ensure Everyone Understands The Tiers & Departments Of The Organization

It’s not uncommon in big corporations for some people to pass each other in the hall for decades and to never really meet or know what the other person does. But when people know how different parts of the company work together, they tend to communicate more favorably. Better yet it helps staff see how their work fits into the bigger picture, which means they feel more connected and considerate of your work. Knowing who handles what makes it easier for staff to reach out when needed, even if they're not naturally that social.

With this advice, we hope you can more easily increase social cohesion in your firm, even if few are natural extroverts.