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Build better coworker relationships with small steps, meaningful conversations, and icebreakers to boost engagement at work.
Relationships at work matter. A good coworker relationship makes your days more enjoyable and makes you better and more productive at your job. One of the drivers of employee engagement has to do with conversations.
Before a team can work together and collaborate effectively, it helps to first know each other. There are a handful of ways to get past our growing aversion to forging friendships or relationships at work.
We understand that connecting with others can create a lot of emotional discomforts (especially amongst a group of new people). There's the fear of rejection. The easiest thing to do is to accept that attempting to create new or deeper connections will make you uncomfortable; the key is not letting it stop you.
You know what they say about discomfort, the more you practice tolerating discomfort, the more confidence you'll gain in your ability to accept new challenges. The biggest thing you can do for yourself is to become aware of your defense mechanisms, and we all have them – they sound something like these:
You get the picture, and chances are, you've said one of these or some version in your past. Recognize that it's usually just a defense mechanism or avoidant behavior, and let yourself push through it. It can be as simple as making eye contact or forcing yourself to say hello.
Relevant conversations are also a great addition to employee engagement strategies to increase job satisfaction and high engagement.
Like most things in life, it's better to take relationship building slowly and in strides rather than in leaps. Not everyone you meet needs to become your friend, you can let go of that notion right now.
Instead, focus on developing a relationship or friendship with one or two people at a time. Small steps can make big differences quickly– the difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding.
Here’s how the math works out: if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty‐seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly to zero. What starts as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into much more.
We all know about ripple effects – when you drop a stone into a pond, it starts with one ripple created by the stone itself, then because a second ripple occurs, a third one occurs, and so on.
The key to remember is that you need 1 thing to happen to produce change immediately after. If you make a connection (the happen) with one person, he or she is likely to talk about you positively (the change).
Now, suddenly, you've built a reputation with others by building it between you and one person – a ripple effect. However, don't pick just anyone; instead, pick coworkers with care. To increase the effect, find colleagues that share values or have things in common. If you want a 2-4x increase in your effort, try to choose people others also gravitate toward.
Don't limit yourself to colleagues only within your department, team, division, or office – going outside your proximity network can offer broader, more diverse support.
Big note: Keep your intentions in check. You shouldn't actively build relationships with motive beyond the intention to build mutually beneficial and good relationships for you, others, and the organization.
In other words, avoid becoming political or manipulative. People will read that, and you'll lose any clout you were able to develop.
We've all been in conversations that feel like they're running out of steam. It's the primary reason we avoid one-on-one conversations in the first place. That awkward silence can kill a vibe really quickly. We all fear running out of things to discuss.
However, there's a cure for this and it's simple– curiosity. We all can ask questions and there's nothing like a good icebreaker to break the tension and open up a fun conversation and maybe even learn something about the person you didn't know. Some simple suggestions below (more at the bottom):
When asking a question, the goal is to create a shared psychological space for you both. By asking a question, it shifts the dynamics. It makes the conversation less about you and more about creating a shared connection and can extend the conversation well beyond the original question.
Remain open, curious, and compassionate. If your default is to ask work-related questions, don't fret, it's a perfectly fine want to develop a relationship.
As noted above, if your intentions aren't pure, people will pick up on that quickly and it's hard to make up for that loss. Here is an easy philosophy to follow– when trying to cultivate and develop a relationship, make sure your actions fit two criteria:As noted above, if your intentions aren't pure, people will pick up on that quickly, and it's hard to make up for that loss. Here is an easy philosophy to follow – when trying to cultivate and develop a relationship, make sure your actions fit two criteria:
Authenticity is critical. The minute you start faking your intentions, people will give you less trust, not more. People know when you're looking out for yourself, avoid this behavior completely.
Ensure your commitments or stories you share are grounded in reality and something you can manage. Don't make plans for drinks or dinner after work if you know you have plans or lots of after-work variabilities. Too many of these and people will stop trying with you.
First ask yourself: What can I realistically give or do, and what am I comfortable asking people for?
Check out how you can set up your very own Icebreaker template or Tell Me Something Good template which can also serve as an icebreaker question generator.
Below we've shared 300 of the top icebreaker questions you can use at work. Add more icebreaker questions to your list with our random question generator at the top of this post to see hundreds more.
There you go, 300 icebreaker questions for you and your team, including the random generator questions above. Next time you and the other employees feel the need to build an emotional connection, get to know one another a tad better, or just share a laugh (or debate)– reference this complete list of icebreakers. For ideas of best team building activities go here.
Building relationships at work can feel uncomfortable, especially for introverts or those who prefer to avoid small talk. The key is to acknowledge the discomfort but not let it stop you. Start with small steps like making eye contact, greeting colleagues, or asking simple questions about their work or interests. Over time, these interactions build confidence and create stronger workplace connections.
Developing connections with coworkers doesn’t mean forcing deep friendships overnight. Instead, start with small, natural interactions—share a casual conversation over coffee, ask about their weekend, or find common ground in work-related topics. Being authentic and showing genuine interest in others will help build strong, mutual relationships without feeling forced.
Strong workplace relationships contribute to higher employee engagement by creating a sense of belonging, trust, and collaboration. Employees who feel connected to their colleagues are more likely to enjoy their work, be productive, and contribute positively to the team. Social connections also improve job satisfaction and retention.
Authenticity is key when building workplace relationships. Be honest about your interests, set realistic commitments, and avoid engaging in conversations with hidden motives. Instead of trying to impress or manipulate, focus on fostering genuine connections based on shared values and mutual respect.
Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.
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Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.
There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.
Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.
The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.
We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.
At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.
The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.
We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.
For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.
If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.
If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.
Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!
While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.
Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.
Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.
That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.
They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.
No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.
Please schedule time with an expert and we will help you to get all your questions answered
