How to increase connection at your gathering
New hire orientations, town halls, manager trainings, values launches, off-sites, and more. These are more than just gatherings — they are specific high-touch moments in an employee’s journey when it’s most important to earn their trust and engagement. But how can we do this?
One way is to focus on increasing connection.
When we are part of a gathering that transforms us and our organizations in a meaningful and lasting way, it’s rarely because of the message alone. It’s how we connect to the message.
This connection doesn’t just happen - we need to intentionally create it.
Here are 8 of my favorite tips on how to increase connection to your organization, the content you share, and your employees. Use these tips whether your organization is remote, hybrid, or in-person.
Increase connection with pull instead of push gatherings
Whereas many gatherings focus on pushing out information to others, it’s ‘pull’ gatherings that help ensure this information sticks and connects.
Rather than imposing information at or to others, the concept of ‘pull’ gatherings encourages collaboration with others.
The chart below explains how pull gatherings create engagement by involving employees in the experience.
How to increase connection to your company
1) Give employees a role or ownership:
"You might taste notes of strawberry or more floral notes." Most wine tastings begin with a description of the wine you're about to taste. One benefit of this approach is that it involves patrons in the experience from the beginning by giving them something to pay attention to and react to.
We can do the same with our gatherings. Whether it’s new values, a new performance process, or a behavior change, how can you help employees feel wanted and needed in the change you’re asking of them?
Ask for their feedback by showing them something unfinished
Give employees ‘skin in the game’ by introducing a panel of employees who have been through the change or clarifying the urgency behind your efforts
Create a shared artifact that everyone contributes to, perhaps with a virtual whiteboard
2) Use After Shows
Many of us are familiar with the concept of an after-show. When the credits roll on our favorite show, we tune into the after-show for extra discussion and insight.
But these after-shows do more than just give us bonus content - they help personalize the experience and increase our connection to what we just consumed. They don’t just give us more, then give us more meaning.
These smaller and more intimate gatherings also allow employees time to process and debrief more comfortably.
How to increase connection to your content
1) Pose questions instead of pushing issues:
What does this topic make you think about? We can pull instead of push people in by leveraging questions during our gatherings that pique curiosity, increase involvement, and invite other ideas and contributions into the experience.
Thoughtful questions also allow people the opportunity to connect their own experiences to your content.
Have a question on the screen as people join that is connected to the content you’ll be sharing
Utilize a central question your gathering will answer
2) Land the plane:
Put your seat upright and fasten your seatbelt. Certain rituals in air travel help ensure a smooth landing and the same is true for our gatherings.
Help employees “land the plane” by directing them where and when they can apply what they learn. Use debriefs, thoughtful reflection, and application to help close the gap between the utility of the information and the participant’s ability to do something with it.
Ask participants to name takeaways at the close of your gathering
Clarify action items, if applicable
Close the gap: Clarify or ask what could get in the way of the content sticking
Remember, our content is only as helpful as our audience’s connection to it. Gatherings can play a central role in our change efforts, but only if we use them effectively.
How to increase connection among employees
Connection among attendees or employees doesn’t just happen. We often need to intentionally design for it. One way is to help people connect by prompting better discussion.
Use #hashtags to capture insights: This idea comes from Wharton Professor and Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant, who uses hashtags in his virtual classroom to encourage quieter voices to participate. Prompt people to use hashtags such as #question, #debate, #aha, or create some of your own.
Leverage table prompts or belonging badges to encourage interaction and deeper conversation
Engage everyone in generating questions and ideas using the 1-2-4-all method
The art of increasing connection in gatherings involves making them more interactive, personalized and focused on fostering connections between employees. By implementing these strategies, routine events can be transformed into transformative experiences, enhancing motivation, engagement, and performance.
Lindsey Caplan is a screenwriter turned organizational psychologist who helps HR & business leaders create experiences that boost motivation, engagement, and performance