How Prioritizing Relationships Sparks Productivity
Our relationships impact every area of life. Whether at home, in friendships, or at work, the quality of our connections influences our joy, our resilience, and even our ability to accomplish our goals. When relationships are strong, life is fuller. When they are weak or neglected, everything feels harder.
That’s why, a couple of years ago, we made some intentional changes with our team at work to create space for relationships. We introduced a Monday lunch that wasn’t about work — it was about connection. It’s designated to be a time for laughter, telling stories, asking questions, and simply enjoying being together. We also created two other times during the week for everyone to be in the same room — even if it’s just for ten minutes for a check-in. These weren’t drastic changes, but they made a world of difference.
What we found was that these moments of connection didn’t take away from our productivity — they fueled it. We worked together with greater ease, handled conflict more smoothly, and collaborated with less friction. Personally, it impacted me in a great way. It was a busy time as our church was growing rapidly and instinctually, I felt like we all just put our heads down to work harder. I found myself skipping lunch to get more done. I was battling discouragement and felt like I just simply wasn’t on the same page with those around me. I had to resist the lie that pulling away from work to be with people would decrease productivity. Ironically, by prioritizing relationships, we became more efficient, not less.
Prioritizing relationships and connection is a productivity hack many leaders are afraid of.
Breaking the Myth: Relationships vs. Productivity
Many leaders hesitate to emphasize workplace relationships and connection because they fear a drop in productivity. If team members are chatting, laughing, or engaging in non-task-related conversation, it can seem like time wasted. The assumption is that real work only happens when heads are down, emails are flying, and meetings are strictly results-driven.
I believe this is a myth that needs to be busted.
Sure, there’s always a risk of people misusing time — in fact, I once had a boss that was on a mission to crack down on “time theft.” Much of this problem can be handled with intentional hiring and setting expectations. More often, leaders short-circuit their team's effectiveness by prioritizing efficiency over people. When relational connection is discouraged — whether through rigid policies, unrealistic workloads, or a culture that values busyness over connection — leaders unknowingly create an environment where collaboration suffers, problem-solving slows, and burnout rises.
Prioritizing relationships doesn’t mean abandoning productivity — it means strengthening it at its core. Healthy teams enjoy being together, and healthy teams get more done. It’s that simple.
The Real Benefits of Prioritizing Connection
When leaders intentionally create space for relationships, the benefits can ripple throughout the entire organization. Here’s what happens when workplace relationships are valued:
Deeper Trust & Honesty – When people feel connected, they are more honest, open, and willing to challenge each other in healthy ways.
Stronger Collaboration – Knowing each other beyond just work roles makes teamwork smoother and more effective. Greater chemistry leads to greater collaboration and chemistry is not automatic. It requires time invested into one another.
Faster Problem-Solving – Teams with strong relationships don’t waste time navigating tension or miscommunication — they get to solutions faster.
More Enjoyable Workdays – When you enjoy the people you work with, even the hardest days are easier to handle. Work becomes a place you want to be, even when the work is difficult. Relationships have that affect.
Less Stress & More Positivity – A connected team naturally fosters a more encouraging and uplifting work environment.
Greater Accountability – People are more likely to hold each other to high standards when they care about each other and have built the relational equity to appropriately call each other and out and up.
Higher Retention & Engagement – Employees who feel valued and connected to their team and leader are far less likely to leave. Studies show that people will even bypass higher pay in other organizations to stay in an a positive and healthy work environment.
Increased Innovation – When people feel safe and supported, they are more likely to take creative risks and offer new ideas. Closer relationships make ideas about ideas, not identities.
Stronger Conflict Resolution – Tough conversations are easier when a foundation of trust is already built. By prioritizing relationships you build a foundation conflict and difficult conversations to take place.
Sustained Long-Term Productivity – Investing in relationships can create a work culture where people don’t just survive — they thrive.
If a leader is concerned about their organization or team members misusing their time in relationships and connections, one way to navigate that is by being the one to create the space and the margin for it to take place. By actually becoming the promoter of relationship-building, you provide a structure that ensures it happens in a healthy way. That’s exactly what we did. We created a safe space — a designated lunch time — for relationship and connection, making it accessible to everyone. It’s not mandatory, but most of our staff takes advantage of it. Because we built it into our rhythm, we don’t see people abusing time for connection; instead, they naturally engage within the spaces provided.
Another note to leaders: lead the way. When leaders set the example in this area, it reinforces its importance. Don’t feel like you need to micromanage these connections, just participate. Lean into your most relational team members to help drive it forward. One of my coworkers, Danielle, is always ready with both thought-provoking and fun questions that spark conversation and laughter.
Instead of relational connection being an interruption, it’s an integrated part of our work culture — one that drives productivity, not detracts from it. Leaders who embrace this approach don’t just build a better workplace; they build stronger, more resilient teams that thrive together.