Team building, connection, and reaching your goals

What does team building and connection have to do with you reaching your potential and achieving your personal goals? 

A Fundamental Need 

The feeling of connection is a fundamental human need. 

According to Psychology Today, people who feel connectedness have “lower rates of anxiety and depression. Moreover, studies show they also have higher self-esteem, are more empathic to others, more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them.”

In the scope of career aspirations, connectedness goes a long way. 

In a 2022 BetterUp survey across 3,000+ US workers, 150,000 BetterUp Members and 78 companies on glassdoor, they found connectedness led to a 92% increase in professional growth, 59% increase in positive relationships, 36% increase in well-being, and a 34% increase in achievement of goals.

“Having strong social connections has been directly linked to a laundry list of outcomes, from higher job performance and the ability to innovate and make clear decisions, to greater physical well-being, decreased cardiovascular mortality, fewer depressive symptoms, and improved overall mental health.” Maggie Wooll, BetterUp

Enhancing Connectedness

Personal connection with others stems from a personal connection with self. Connecting with your breath, the present moment, and all that you have in your life is a vital asset to propel connections with others in a present, meaningful way. 

Take a Breather On Demand, co-created by The FruitGuys and WellFests, is a great tool to help encourage connection within the workday. These movement, breath, and meditation breaks are inspired by the elements and can be practiced anytime, anywhere. For example, water sessions help increase feelings of connectedness, gratitude and flow and are helpful if you’re working in collaboration with others or team building.

These practices strengthen emotional intelligence, which acts as a catalyst for showing up comfortable in your own skill within group settings.

On that note, if you’re looking to create moments of connection within your team, perhaps host an offsite. Gathering people together in a unique place allows space to develop memories and interactions that otherwise might not take shape. Services such as Offsite make creating these moments of connection easy. 

Furthermore, practice being present with others throughout your day-to-day life. Hold the door for strangers, be an active listener, let another driver in during traffic. Little acts of acknowledgement go a long way for yourself and create a ripple effect of connectedness with others at large.