B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Federal Election
  • AFL
  • Pinterest
  • AI
  • News Corp
  • Cairns Hatchlings
  • NRL
  • Married At First Sight
  • Channel 10
  • Anthony Albanese
  • oOh!Media
  • Thinkerbell
  • WPP
  • ARN
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: Personal Connection Matters At Work – Here Are Four Ways To Improve Them
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Opinion > Personal Connection Matters At Work – Here Are Four Ways To Improve Them
Opinion

Personal Connection Matters At Work – Here Are Four Ways To Improve Them

Staff Writers
Published on: 28th June 2023 at 3:46 PM
Staff Writers
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Adrian Baillargeon (lead image), author of Teams That Swear: By each other, is a global speaker and leadership team performance expert. In this guest post, Baillargeon offers his four best tips for building better and more connective teams at work…

“I’m not here to make friends” is a phrase I often hear when people share their experiences about their workplace. Whilst different personalities can clash in the modern workforce, today’s senior leaders must understand that solid connections can propel teams forward and create incredible momentum.

Studies show that strong social connectivity increases engagement and productivity, and those with a best friend at work are seven time more likely to “exhibit better engagement, customer relations, work quality, well-being and having a lower risk of injury.”  Whilst it might be a stretch to be best friends with everyone, creating better connections among team members can help your team shine and win the games that matter most, just like the Buffalo Bills.

Connection amongst the mammoths and the corporates

After a 17-year playoff drought, the Buffalo Bills new GM and head coach, Sean McDermott, was tasked with bringing the franchise to their previous glory. The Bills had 30 new players, and his priority throughout the season was to foster a more profound connection among the group.

McDermott organised for players to share their childhood and motivations during each team meeting. The team heard about poverty, losing loved ones, and the importance of faith. The emphasis on human connection profoundly impacted the Buffalo Bills, transcending the boundaries of the football field. For the first time in three seasons, the Bills had a winning season, and they finally made the finals.

Connection. Engagement. Getting through a challenging time. This is what all teams should be striving for to truly shine. From C-suite to the front line, from the office to the trenches, these approaches will help bring your team closer together, resulting in better outcomes for everyone.

Shared experiences create stronger bonds

MIT’s Sandy Pentland’s research into team performance demonstrated that a large portion of a team’s success could be predicted by how much time they spent together outside of just doing the job. It’s easy to say, “Let’s go for a beer mate”; however, other ways exist to create experiences that matter. Executive members can team up to visit customers. Mystery shop together. Visit a distribution centre or a supplier. Get off of zoom or out of the office – go for a walk together. Have lunch together. Attend a networking event together. Think of the work you do – and think – how could we do this as a team?

Swear by each other and not about each other

Researchers have suggested we tend to swear more around people “we trust, and swearing can help to create trust.” But it’s how you swear that makes a difference. When you swear by someone, it draws people together. Dr Emma Byrne, author of Swearing is Good For You, points out that when colleagues swear around each other, they are essentially saying, “I trust that you trust me enough to know that I’m not really being an a——e right now”.  However, when senior leaders swear about someone, trust erodes, and clashes become a barriers to progress, in their teams and the team below them. Acknowledging someone when they do something good can go a long way to strengthening ties within groups, even executive teams where discussions tend to focus on what’s going wrong instead of what’s going right. Talking about issues in front of each other can do the same thing when there is a clash. Say things sooner and see the difference.

Pass on your passion

Joe Maddon, a Major League Baseball manager who guided the Chicago Cubs to their first championship in 108 years, loves wine. He would often teach his players about it, to the point that his players started bringing bottles of wine to him to share their thoughts. Allocating 10 minutes of a monthly leadership team meeting for someone to share something important to them is a great way to help people drop their guard, welcome people into their world and develop a strong bond and sense of trust.

Share you

In 2017, when the Richmond Tigers won the Australian Football League premiership, throughout the year, during team meetings, players shared their hero, hardship, and highlight of their life. Corporate Challenge Events and the Buffalo Bills shared personal stories. A director at a global health fund had his people bring a photo and share the background. There are many ways to learn about each other in a way that truly matters.

Connections among teams help build trust and a sense of belonging. When that trust exists, it leads to deeper discussions and the ability to work through issues quicker. The great thing about connection is that senior leaders can do something to foster this environment; intentional focus fast tracks success, and with connection, it’s a matter of being deliberate. Who knows, leadership teams may even make new friends in the process.

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

FISHER Taps Grammy-Nominated Producer Chris Lake For Pop-Up Gig in Sydney Via Liquid I.V., TEG, FleishmanHillard, Live Agency & RIFLE
20/05/2025
Cookies May Linger, But Aussie Consumers Are Already Moving On
20/05/2025
Ogilvy Network ANZ Unites Social & Influence Expertise Under Social@Ogilvy Banner
20/05/2025
Customer Vs Employee Value Propositions: The Disconnect & How To Fix It
20/05/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?