Ubuntu can be understood as the importance of being connected to each other. This kind of personal connection extends to the workplace too. Research shows that less frequent interactions among coworkers affects overall health and well being. By making concerted efforts to employ communication skills such as active listening and empathy at work, we can build mutual trust, respect, and understanding.

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“The Impact of Connecting at Work”
Author: Janine Schindler, MCC
May 8, 2019
From FORBES 

Excerpt

In a 2018 survey of 20,000 U.S. adults by Cigna, the company found that there are consistent traits among those who lack a connection with others: “It was found that lonelier people are more likely to have infrequent in-person interactions, disagree that their ‘social skills’/relationship statuses are good, be in fair/poor overall, physical, and mental health, and have less balance in their lives — all of which are interconnected and come with repercussions of their own.”

One answer seems to be that we should satisfy our need to belong at work, and that appears to come down to trust and respect. People also want to feel as though they’re being heard and understood at their places of work. As EY’s study found, “thirty-nine percent of respondents feel they belong most at work when they have the ability to speak freely and voice their opinion….”

You also can see the results of employees feeling engaged with other employees and engaged with their work inn Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace report. Business units that score high in the area of employee engagement have 41% lower absenteeism and 59% lower turnover than business units in the bottom quartile. In the same engaged group, there also were 70% fewer employee safety accidents. These, plus other positive statistics, help businesses in the top quartile realize a 21% higher profitability.

Today, meaningfully interacting with co-workers is how many people get their daily dose of humanity, and that can go a long way toward employee satisfaction and company productivity….One of the important things to keep in mind when trying to engage people in the workplace is their communication preference…”

To read more about connecting at work, visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/05/08/the-impact-of-connecting-at-work

Photo: Van Tay Media