If We Stay Together, We Survive

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I have watched the movie, Gladiator, countless times. My favorite scene is?the reenactment of the battle of Carthage in the Roman Colosseum. A group of prisoners stand in the center of the arena to fight for their lives. They have not yet seen who (or what) they will be fighting, but they expect to be overmatched. Maximus Meridius, the general-turned-prisoner (played by Russell Crowe), gathers the prisoners together and gives them this wise advice:

"Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. If we stay together, we survive!"

This advice is perfectly relevant today. The return-to-office debates and AI predictions have distracted us from a more important conversation about work. We are making fewer and weaker social connections at work. Whether we work from home or in the office, we bury our heads in screens and miss opportunities to forge deeper bonds with our workmates. We are simultaneously always connected and lacking connectedness.

As I reflect on my career so far, I treasure the relationships more than my achievements. I've forgotten my performance review ratings and earnings at my former jobs, but the relationships endure. At every job - the great ones and the not great ones - I met special people who inspired me, taught me, supported me, laughed with/at me, and still matter to me. In hindsight, regular access to special people is the most valuable company benefit.

The Workforce Institute at UKG recently published their research on Mental Health at Work. In their survey of 3,400 workers, 64% said that work negatively impacts their wellbeing. The same percentage, 64%, would take a pay cut for a job that better supports their mental wellness. Connecting with my workmates positively impacted my wellbeing at every job I have ever had. I have learned that there are special people in every organization and there is something special about every person in every organization.

While you may not get to choose your manager or the physical location of your work, you can choose to discover what makes your coworkers special. Maximus, in ancient Rome, advised his fellow gladiators to stay together to survive. Futurist Bob Johansen, known for his Ten Year Forecasts, predicts that human connection will be even more important in the future:

"The more intelligent computers become, the more humans will value other humans. The more digital we become, the more we will value human interaction." - Bob Johansen, Full Spectrum Thinking

Whether you are frustrated, bored, under-appreciated, stressed out, burned out, or none of those things, your work and your work life will benefit immediately from more, and stronger, social connections. I recommend two practical actions to do today:

• Think of a former colleague who positively impacted your wellbeing at work. Send them a text, email, LinkedIn message today and tell them about that impact.? "Leslie, I was thinking about you today and want you to know how much I still use all of those workshop ideas I learned from you!"
• Think of a current colleague who you see regularly, but have never connected 1-1. Ask them a question that shows you are interested in learning more about them. My favorite low-risk conversation starter is, "Where did you grow up? ... What did you love most about growing up there?"

Connecting with people is the cheat code for inspired work. Community is a uniquely human advantage that has helped us survive for thousands of years.? We are more resilient and more creative together than alone. When we stay together, we thrive!

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