Cohesiveness—the “we” spirit within the group—can wield heavy influence on commitment. The stronger the ties between the people, the more those personal bonds serve as a motor powering individual effort.

Sometimes this sense of family, community, or “teamness” comes about naturally over time as people work together during the regular workday. But sharing experiences outside of the daily routine often accelerates the process. Getting together after hours—for fun, maybe even for work—allows a unique and most valuable connective tissue to develop across the group.

Some people aren’t drawn to this sort of thing, of course, particularly if they’re already putting in long hours. So don’t force it. You can’t make camaraderie a job requirement. What you can do is encourage it and create a conducive environment that helps it to happen spontaneously.

Bonding that occurs beyond the boundaries of the job creates richer relationships. The relaxed atmosphere makes it easier for people to get to know one another on a personal basis. The feelings of unity take on more depth.

The payoff? Tightly knit groups make members want to try harder. We’re more committed to those we care for. We’ll pitch in to help them out. We’ll go further out of our way to make sure we measure up in their eyes. Call it peer pressure, group pride, or inspiration that comes from knowing your associates are cheering for you. Label it however you want, the force if formidable enough to drive personal commitment through the roof. You’ll see people push themselves to their absolute limits rather than let down their colleagues.

That cohesiveness is worth something. You can’t buy that kind of behavior. It’s born of feelings deep inside the human being, stirrings that develop out of purely personal ties. It’s commitment with a capital C.

Devotion to the job drops when working relationships get disturbed.
Personnel shakeups cause people to pull back psychologically. The social ties that connect employees carry a weaker emotional current, particularly if people end up working with others they hard know.
You should take time—make time—to rebuild relationships.
Commitment runs at a far higher voltage when people know and care for their coworkers.

To perform well while under pressure, we need to develop habits to work more effectively. Making the right decisions, engaging with others effectively, learning to manage our own emotions takes practice.

Driving Dedication During Change: A pocket guide for becoming an effective linchpin enables you with all the tools and tactics you need to make your interactions less stressful and more effective.