Social working = being visible + listening + connecting

Social working at work involves a fundamental leadership quality:  being human. Sometimes executives can forget some of the simple things that make them seem more human to frontline employees. Their days are often consumed by hours of meetings. In between meetings, they make beelines back to their offices to crank out some emails or return calls.

See and be seen. Carve out time to walk the floors. A little visibility can go along way to build connections. Talk with employees about how the day is going, family, pets or an upcoming vacation. Ask employees questions and no-they don’t have to be all work-related. This is what breaks down those barriers that often make employees feel intimidated by leaders.

Listen to the work. Visit staff meetings in your division that you do not regularly attend. You don’t need an agenda. Listen. Ask questions. Doing this enough times will eventually make employees feel more comfortable with your presence.

Connect with employees in online communities. If you have an internal social media network, get on it. Share what you are working on. Ask for feedback and ideas. Have some fun with it, too. For more ideas on using internal social media tools, see this previous blog.