Our Connection measure helps managers understand how connected employees feel to their teams across six dimensions:
- Appreciation: Efforts are acknowledged, achievements are celebrated, and growth is supported.
- Belonging: Feeling accepted and having a shared sense of identity with a group of employees.
- Cohesion: Working toward shared goals in a supportive environment with healthy relationships and constructive conflict management.
- Contribution: Feeling supported and empowered with resources, feedback, and time management.
- Trust: Confidence in your colleagues, built through a supportive and fair environment
- Well-being: Managing pressure and work-life balance to support healthy, effective performance.
How can managers act on these insights to foster connection?
To delve into an employee’s sense of connection to a specific team, invite them to complete and share their Connection insights with you to support more purposeful conversations. If they are open to sharing, follow the steps in this guide to help them feel comfortable and at ease discussing their personal connection experiences.
Note: This guide is to support individual discussions between managers and their team members. Guidance on discussions around Team Connection is outlined here.
Given that these discussions can be sensitive, it is helpful to consider their appropriateness and confirm that the employee is fully on board before diving in.
- Before the conversation:
- Review the employee’s overall Connection score, insights for each dimension (green = high, yellow = moderate, orange = low), and suggested connection habits.
- Consider their role, recent events, and prior feedback.
- Identify the areas that highlight low connection and set clear objectives for the discussion.
- Book a private space with enough time to talk meaningfully.
- Initiating the conversation:
- Explain the purpose of the session and outline what will be discussed, assure privacy, and allow the individual time to prepare.
- Let them choose the time and place.
- During the conversation:
- Reinforce the purpose and confidentiality of the conversation
- Ask open-ended questions about their thoughts on their scores or current role. Choose curiosity over judgment when discussing their results. Avoid blame or assumptions.
- Focus on acknowledging high scores to set a positive tone with questions like “Where would you like to start?” “Which scores are most relevant to your role?” or “What stood out for you in your insights?”
- For low scores, explore with curiosity: “What makes you feel energised at work, and what leaves you feeling drained?” or “What makes you feel disconnected?”
- Discuss which connection habits they would like to adopt and how you can support them.
- After the conversation:
- Agree on next steps and timelines.
- Document key actions, mutual commitments and follow-up dates.
- Schedule regular check-ins to track progress.