BUILD BETTER WORK-RELATIONSHIPS

I am still thinking about improving mental health at work by getting more connected to those we work with. The train of thought was all inspired by a few of the speakers at the?MG 100 conference. Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the current head of New York City’s Department of Mental Health.?Ashwin?redirected the conversation from the passing pandemic to the current epidemic. That is how he referred to the mental health crisis we are experiencing.

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He was indignant about the fact that?mental health is still stigmatized, and people look at it as a weakness. As a result, people don’t talk about it. But that is changing.

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He said, “I am talking about it. It is a strength to talk about it. I talk about it to everyone, everywhere I go.” Just recently I heard a PSA by Megan Thee Stallion about being vulnerable sharing, “They say Black don't crack, but it can. I can.”

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Now I am talking about it. Social isolation is an issue. Here's what we know:

• Loneliness is physically detrimental to your health.?
• Social isolation has a greater impact on mortality than smoking or obesity.
• Strong work friendships predict happiness in your job. ?
• Close work relationships are directly correlated to productivity and engagement.

We are in a mental health crisis and the solution is connection. It needs to be created in all the environments in which we live. And where we live most of the time is work.

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I shared last week about the Connect groups within the MG 100 community and how the experience has created fast and deep relationships among the members.? What I didn’t explain is what a Connect Group is.

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In essence, the name says it all. It is a small group of people, usually 6 – 9, getting together for the sole purpose of connecting and supporting each other. A facilitator guides the weekly calls so everyone has a week in the spotlight to tell their story. There are lots of ways to tell your story and we share different formats in the kickoff session.

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The goal is for you to let people know all about you and where you may seek input or advice. It creates a very fast, very deep and very lasting connection. You feel seen, you feel known, and you feel supported.

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We've been thinking about how to bring this to the corporate environment and recently launched Corporate Connects. Our Corporate Connects guidelines are a bit different to increase participants’ comfort with the concept in this environment.

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Curious about it for your organization? Want to create a more connected culture and team? Let’s chat, just reach out and we can get connected too!

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Keep connecting,

P.S. If you want a daily dose of inspiration, follow me on?LinkedIn?and?Instagram! Looking for more video content? Subscribe to my YouTube channel here. You can also subscribe to my LinkedIn newsletter that will appear directly in your feed! Sign up?here!