Employers
who aim to improve the loyalty, efficiency, and engagement of their workforce
would do well to focus on employee morale. And one of the surest ways to
improve morale is to encourage camaraderie/friendship in the workplace.
When
employees care about each other, they are more likely to become invested in
each others’ success, communicate readily and openly, and cooperate on major
projects in a way that capitalizes on their comparative advantages. (For example,
“You’re better at writing, and I’m more conversational. So I’ll field phone
calls while you take care of e-mails.”) Workers who have developed friendships
on the job are also more likely to remain with the company, even if the work
itself becomes less appealing. Finally, a reputation for camaraderie and
positive employee morale may also enhance your company’s prospects for
recruiting top talent.
With
all of that in mind, here are some ways to encourage camaraderie in the
workplace:
•
Participation in community service/volunteer events. Set aside some time for employees to volunteer for a charity or
non-profit organization, and allow them to choose the organization. Or you
could sponsor and take part in a public event on behalf of worthy cause, like
the local Terry Fox Run, or a Pride parade.
•
Team-building exercises. Though they may
seem clichéd, team-building exercises can be effective in helping employees
develop a “we’re in this together” mentality. Well known examples include the
mine field (leading a blindfolded person through an obstacle course) and the
trust lean (catching a person as s/he falls backward). Some companies have even
tried sheep-herding and scavenger hunts. In any event, remember that the
purpose of the activity is to foster trust and a willingness to cooperate
within the group, rather than competition between individuals. Choose
accordingly.
•
Empathize. Make an effort to be
consistently respectful, amicable, and professional toward employees,
colleagues, and clients. Practice empathy and compassion. Take the needs and
concerns of your employees seriously, and take individual preferences,
personality types, and working styles into account in your personnel decisions.
With respect to the type of workplace atmosphere you hope to instill, be
proactive and set an example.
•
Keep an eye out for potential conflicts. It is axiomatic that some people simply don’t get along well with
each other. Watch out for personality conflicts that you sense may become
problematic, and trust your instincts. Where possible, try to match or group
people you believe will work well together. If you find that one individual in
particular doesn’t seem to collaborate effectively with anyone, you may need to
take that person aside to address a specific issue, or even consider letting
her go.
The
downsides
As
the title of this post suggests, the effects of camaraderie in a professional
setting are not all rosy. Possible disadvantages include ruptured friendships
if one friend departs and the other remains, and more time spent socializing
(which may detract from productivity). In certain cases, friendships at work
can lead to the formation of cliques and even divided loyalties—consequences
that you’ll need to watch out for. As a manager or business owner, you’ll also need
to remain cognizant of the line between friendliness toward your employees and
friendship with them. While it’s possible to be friendly toward someone while
maintaining an air of professionalism, it can be very difficult to reconcile
the obligations of management with the responsibilities and commitments of
friendship.
In
most cases, though, the positive effects of workplace camaraderie far outweigh
these potential difficulties, and the challenge of maintaining an affable but
professional workplace atmosphere is manageable.
