Humans are funny creatures. Because we have always based our survival on being able to come together as a group and stand as a united front, the ties of social obligation strongly affect us.
When working within a team, it is important to remember we are social beings and that you can use these factors to build stronger, healthy teams with people who want to collaborate and participate.
If you are looking to motivate team members to help one another more, look to the concept of social reciprocity.
Social reciprocity states that if you do me a favour, I will feel obligated to repay that favour in the future. For example, if you remember my birthday (May 1st, by the way, just around the corner!), I’ll feel the need to remember yours.
If you want to see social reciprocity in action, look up the Gift Exchange episode from The Big Bang Theory TV show.
This sense of obligation allows us to build relationships with one another. We don’t take kindly to those who violate it, thus people go to great lengths to return good acts.
So, if you want to build stronger connections in your team, take the first step by helping someone else. It will pay off for all of you in the long run.
Team Human Conversation
Fight workplace zombies in your organization and join Team Human! Gather a group of fellow workplace zombie hunters to discuss our most recent blog post. Use the questions below to kick-start your conversation.
What strategies or initiatives have you employed to demonstrate social reciprocity within your organization or team?
In what ways do you believe social reciprocity contributes to employee engagement, retention, and overall satisfaction in the workplace?
Have you encountered any challenges when implementing social reciprocity initiatives, and how have you addressed them?