Work design: Relational

SMART work is relational

As social beings, many people benefit from the social interactions and relationships provided through work. Work can be relational in 3 main ways:

• You feel supported by the people you work with including your manager or supervisor (social support).
• You feel like your work makes a difference to other people and the community (task significance).
• You feel like your work is appreciated by people inside and outside your organisation (social worth). 

Connecting with others and feeling like our work makes a difference helps us feel satisfied and fulfilled.

Jobs that are not relational are likely to involve:

• teams, supervisors and managers who are not interested in each another or support each other
• tasks that provide little if any feedback about a person’s value within the organisation
• few opportunities to feel valued by people outside the organisation.  

People working in jobs with high relational aspects have a lower risk of experiencing mental health issues.

Organisations that offer strong relational aspects in work report higher levels of organisation commitment, worker job satisfaction and worker wellbeing. They also experience less job stress and burnout.

Tips on creating relational work

Workers

Some jobs offer more opportunities to connect with others. However, most people can make their work more relational. Some ideas include:

• Get involved with your work social club, and take an interest in other people. If your work does not have a social club, consider starting one.
• Have a regular team lunch (e.g. once a week or once a month). This can help boost connections between team members and increase understanding about how different parts of the organisation work.
• Share any positive feedback with all those involved in a project. It helps people understand how their work contributes to the broader organisation.

Managers

If you are a manager, here are some ways you can design work that is more relational:

• Start each day or shift with a short 5-10 minute ‘huddle’ where everyone touches base and discusses any potential issues or areas where they may need some help.
• When starting a new project, think about how to include people outside your immediate team. Sharing objectives with other areas or departments can help to break down siloes.
• Share any positive feedback with all those involved in a project. It helps people understand how their work contributes to the broader organisation.
• Recognise workers who have done a good job. It increases their sense of value and worth from their work.