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"While we are born to connect, we don’t always know how to engage in high-quality connections in the midst of uncertainty," Professors Jane Dutton and Monica Worline write. "Deliberate attention to these small moves is harder when we’re busy or under pressure. We may avoid interacting with people in spaces that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable, losing the opportunity for moments of high-quality connection." Yet micro-moments of quality interactions are what shape not only our connections with strangers, but also our relationships that endure in the long-run. There are four vital strategies that can foster such moments, say Dutton (who's co-founder of University of Michigan's Center for Positive Organizations) and Worline (who's a research scientist at Stanford's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education) -- they are: respectful engagement, task enabling, trusting, and playfulness. Research finds engaging these practices can contribute to stronger, healthier work bonds, which ultimately make workplaces more vibrant and productive.
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