When you’re feeling behind on tasks and pressed against deadlines, building workplace relationships is about the last thing you feel like doing. You just want to put your head down, check off tasks on your to-do list, and get things done. However, by adding intentionality to interactions you already have, even a few minutes of genuine connection during existing meetings can improve trust, collaboration, and engagement.
There are absolutely times when you should put on blinders and focus solely on your tactical objectives. But exclusively interacting in a transactional manner with your coworkers could cause you to lose any sense of personal connection, especially if you work remotely. By taking even a few minutes each day to foster a sense of rapport at work, you could unlock the key to a greater sense of purpose and well-being, reduce burnout, and even improve your performance.
So how do you make time for people without feeling more stressed and overwhelmed? After 17 years of coaching professionals and executives on time management, I’ve found that the busiest people often assume building relationships requires extra time. In reality, the most effective habit is making existing interactions more intentional.
Why Workplace Connection Matters
Strong relationships at work aren’t just “nice to have.” They contribute to:
- Greater employee engagement
- Improved collaboration and communication
- Higher trust within teams
- Reduced feelings of isolation, particularly for remote employees
- Better overall well-being and resilience
- Increased productivity over time
The key isn’t spending more time socializing—it’s being more intentional with the interactions you’re already having.
Strategy 1: Use the First Few Minutes of One-on-One Meetings to Build Workplace Relationships
One pattern I’ve consistently seen among high-performing leaders is that they don’t necessarily spend more time connecting—they simply use existing meetings more intentionally.
If you already have one-on-one meetings scheduled with your team, take a few minutes at the start of the discussion to find out how they’re doing before jumping to the business agenda. You don’t need to spend the whole time on personal updates but even reserving five minutes to ask about their recent vacation, find out if their mom is out of the hospital, or to see how they’re recovering from surgery can make a difference.
You can use the same strategy for one-on-one meetings with colleagues who you regularly work with on projects. Depending on the length of the meeting and how much you need to cover, you may not have time to catch up each time. But if every few meetings you use a few minutes at the beginning or end to talk about more than the projects at hand, you can strengthen those ties. This could include bonding over your excitement about a particular sports team, talking about your families, or discussing anything else that gives you space to connect beyond a one-dimensional, task-oriented level.
Pro Tip
If remembering personal details isn’t your strength, create a private reminder in your calendar or notes with conversation prompts. Small memory cues help you follow up thoughtfully without relying on memory alone.
Strategy 2: Create Space for Team Sharing
Large meetings usually don’t leave much room for personal conversations. Smaller teams, however, can intentionally build connection into existing meetings.
Consider dedicating a few minutes during a weekly or monthly meeting for team members to share something recent, such as:
- Attending an industry conference
- Completing a personal milestone
- Learning a new skill
- Celebrating a family event
- Sharing an interesting experience
For in-person teams, this might happen naturally over Monday morning coffee or a Friday afternoon gathering.
For remote or hybrid teams, consider:
- Short virtual coffee chats
- Monthly virtual happy hours
- Rotating personal updates at the beginning of team meetings
The goal isn’t lengthy storytelling—it’s creating regular opportunities for colleagues to know each other beyond project deliverables.
Even 15 to 20 minutes of informal conversation can strengthen team engagement and make collaboration feel more natural.
Interested in three additional strategies for building stronger workplace relationships when you’re short on time? You can read the complete Harvard Business Review article: How to Find the Time to Connect with Colleagues When You’re Very, Very Busy
Frequently Asked Questions
How can busy professionals build stronger workplace relationships?
The easiest approach is to use existing meetings. Spend the first few minutes of one-on-one meetings checking in personally before discussing work, and create brief opportunities for team members to share updates during regular meetings.
Why is it important to connect with colleagues in the workplace?
Positive workplace relationships improve trust, communication, engagement, collaboration, employee well-being, and can help reduce burnout—particularly for remote and hybrid teams.
How can remote teams build stronger connections?
Remote teams benefit from intentional touchpoints such as virtual coffee chats, short personal check-ins during meetings, rotating team updates, and occasional virtual social events. Consistency matters more than duration.
The Bottom Line
When you’re overwhelmed, building relationships can feel like the first thing to eliminate from your schedule. Ironically, it’s often one of the highest-return investments you can make.
You don’t need to block hours on your calendar. A few intentional minutes before a meeting or a brief team check-in can strengthen relationships, improve collaboration, and make work more meaningful.
When schedules get tighter, don’t eliminate connection—make it more intentional. The strongest workplace relationships aren’t built through extra meetings, but through making everyday interactions count.
About Real Life E
Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management coach and best-selling author who empowers individuals who feel guilty, overwhelmed and frustrated to feel peaceful, confident and accomplished. She helps people struggling with new levels of responsibility after receiving a promotion or becoming a parent, who aren’t meeting expectations at work, or who need better work-life balance to overcome burnout.
Elizabeth was named one of the World’s Top 30 Time Management Professionals by Global Gurus and is a member of Forbes Coaches Council. McGraw Hill published her first book The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success with Less Stress. Harvard Business Review published her second book How to Invest Your Time Like Money. And FaithWords published her third book Divine Time Management. Elizabeth has written time management articles for Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. Find out more at www.RealLifeE.com
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