This past weekend, I dropped my son off at college. He is beginning his first year in a city far from home and at a college where he knows nobody. As we were setting up his room and getting him settled, he shared with me how nervous he is. His stress isn’t about learning how to maneuver the city’s public transportation system nor is it the fear of keeping up academically in college level classes. My son is most nervous about making new friends and whether he will find a community. After all, he has had the same buddies since he was a small child and now, he is starting over. My son is not alone in wanting friends and we should not underestimate the impact having them has on us.
Studies show that having friendships allows us to feel more a part of the community and it is those very connections that enable us to succeed wherever we are. Studies show that students perform better academically, and college students have a higher rate of graduating on time when they have a community of friends. In the book Connecting in College, a study among college students reveals that a close group of friends provides one with academic and social support. According to this book, students with friends do better because they study together, check in with each other when facing important assignments, celebrate each other’s achievements, and de-stress together regularly.
The benefits of community do not stop at college graduation. Having a strong and supportive workplace community allows employees to feel more invested in their companies and this is shown to translate to increased job satisfaction and decreased turnover rate. When employees like where they work, they give more freely of their skills and talents. Simply put, fostering friendships and a sense of community in the workplace is beneficial for both the individual and the organization.
The time spent cultivating a sense of community should not be considered secondary to other office activities. Nurturing a culture where coworkers know more about one another than simply their names should be a priority. With the increased number of people working from home, fewer spontaneous interactions are occurring so it’s up to us to create community proactively and intentionally. Whether it’s creating opportunities for team building activities or collaborative project work, we need to find a way to foster relationships. Much like college students, people in the workforce also benefit from working with others who check in them, celebrate achievements and support them during stressful times. It should not be a question of whether we create an environment to encourage community and friendships. The question should be how do you plan to do it? After all, workplace and school friendships are what will allow us to move from surviving to thriving.
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#friendshipsbenefitusall
