Investing in human connection
By Sonia Denton-Smith, Resilience Based Clinical Supervision Project Manager and Facilitator (FoNS)
Why human connection matters
Human connection is created through the emotional and social bonds that bring us together. It helps us build relationships, develop friendships and experience meaningful interactions with others.
For healthcare professionals, meaningful connection also supports a sense of purpose and validation in the work we do. Research shows that strong human connections can have significant benefits for health, including increasing our likelihood of survival by 50%. They may also help protect against stress-related illnesses such as stroke and heart disease, as well as depression and anxiety.
Positive human connection strengthens wellbeing by improving self-esteem, belonging and resilience. With benefits that reach both individuals and teams, investing in stronger workplace connections is essential.
What the FoNS scholarship programme highlighted to me
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend FoNS’ five-day residential scholarship programme. The experience brought home the importance of investing in human connection.
This investment was not only about having the time and space to be with others. It was also about the choices we made as individuals to build genuine connections. The facilitators supported this by actively engaging us in activities designed to strengthen those connections.
Intentional connection and its impact
Because the programme was intentional in how it created space for connection, the outcomes were profound. A group of strangers developed strong relationships both as individuals and as a collective.
Together, we created an environment that enabled us to:
- feel safe and build trust;
- form meaningful friendships;
- develop personal and professional respect for one another;
- remove judgement and challenge assumptions or biases we might otherwise have held.
This helped us to think differently, explore new ways of working and become creative in ways we had not expected.
Becoming more intentional about connection
As I left the residential experience, I began to wonder how we might become more intentional in the ways we build connection with others.
What would happen if we created more deliberate opportunities to connect with our colleagues, teams, communities and the people we meet in everyday interactions? What might our workplace culture look and feel like if we invested in creating spaces where meaningful connection could happen?
These opportunities do not always need to be complex. They might include conversations about shared values, a tea and coffee morning, or simply taking ten minutes to sit with the people we care for. Small moments can create the conditions for deeper connection.
Learning from the FoNS blog archive
I also spent time looking back through FoNS’ blog archive. In one blog, Kate Sanders writes about meaningful moments and describes how every relationship begins with a moment of connection. Through connection, we can tap into the knowledge and experience of others.
These connections can create energy, enthusiasm and a stronger sense of wellbeing. This reflected my own experience during the residential programme. I left feeling energised, inspired and hopeful about facilitating similar opportunities for others, both in my facilitation work and in everyday interactions within my team.
I also came across a blog by Jo Odell about creating personal connections to learn, develop and improve. Jo highlights that culture change requires facilitative leadership, time and investment in people.
A call to invest in connection
I hope this blog inspires you to think about how you can invest in building and facilitating human connection in your own workplace. By creating opportunities for meaningful connection, we can strengthen relationships with colleagues, teams, communities and the people we care for.