The Currency of Connection: Why Social Capital Matters
Mangahao Hydro-Electric scheme (1922-1923) by Leslie Adkin
During a recent post-workshop debrief, the multi-national team I was working with offered some surprising feedback to their event organizers about their multi-day gathering. Despite collaborating regularly online, this team, scattered around the world, rarely met in person.
Their most valued takeaway wasn't the content or learnings from the workshop—it was simply being together. Shared meals, hallway conversations, and even walking together between locations had created unexpected value for everyone.
It got me thinking about how we often neglect an essential aspect of collaboration: building social capital. Those seemingly trivial moments of connection create a currency that pays dividends when we need to collaborate, innovate, or navigate conflict.
Why Social Capital Matters
Social capital isn't just nice-to-have—it's the invisible infrastructure supporting everything we do. Research shows strong workplace connections reduce stress, improve mental health, and foster purpose. Without these investments, our increasingly remote world faces real challenges:
Siloed communication with 25% less cross-team interaction
Diminished innovation without organic idea exchange
Harder-to-build trust and organizational belonging
Research from MIT's Human Dynamics Laboratory found that the most successful teams share one defining characteristic: strong informal communication networks. Their studies revealed that patterns of communication were often better predictors of team success than individual intelligence, personality, skill, or the content of discussions.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
PRACTICE: The Connection Audit
Review your recent calendar. How much time was dedicated to building connections versus tasks?
Identify one work relationship to strengthen and take a small step this week.
At your next team gathering, look for opportunities to intentionally build in connection time.
The teams that thrive aren't just those with the best strategies—they're the ones rich in social capital, where trust creates a foundation for everything else.
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