How to strengthen your social capital

There is social capital in all workplaces. When you want to work with social capital, it is therefore about starting from the cooperation you already have. All employees and managers can contribute to this.

How to strengthen your social capital at the shop

Social capital exists at all workplaces. You should base efforts to increase your social capital on your existing collaborative culture. You can strengthen collaboration and social capital by:

  • Focussing on core tasks: How do we improve our sales and our customers’ shopping experience?
  • Look at how you plan, coordinate and allocate work: Is it a fair allocation? Have you thought of everything? Is everything appropriately and responsibly managed?
  • Establish structures and frameworks to underpin collaboration: Do we know each other’s tasks? Do we respect each other’s work and efforts?
  • Build good relations across the hierarchy, between managers and employees and across departments and functions, etc.: Do we talk enough with each other? Do we have good relationships with one another?

Benefits of a high level of social capital

A workplace with a high level of social capital also has good psychosocial working conditions. Where a workplace nurses its social capital, you’ll see:

  • A high degree of trust and fairness in collaboration on tasks.
  • Openness and honesty in collaboration.
  • Recognition from management and mutually between colleagues.
  • Collaboration across specialist groups and between groups/departments.
  • Employees who feel they can trust and rely on reports and information from management.
  • Employees who are involved and have influence on their own tasks.
  • That it’s OK to make proposals to management.

Building social capital

  • Respectful communication. Simple things such as saying good morning, goodbye and being respectful in your communication with one another are important for your relations at the workplace. Irony, sarcasm and offensive words can lead to misunderstandings and uncertainty. It’s natural for a workplace to have its own jargon and culture, and that’s OK. But it’s still important that the tone does not become unpleasant and disrespectful. Be especially aware of your language and tone of voice when you communicate with new colleagues.
  • Respect each other’s contributions. Your shop needs many different qualifications and competencies, so that you complement each other as employees. It’s important that you respect each other’s qualifications, interests, needs and job functions. This will build good collaborations, and steer you towards good results that everyone can recognise.
  • Don’t forget to acknowledge each other. Acknowledge and appreciate each other’s efforts; this is hugely important for your day-to-day wellbeing and task performance. So don’t forget to recognise your colleagues’ good efforts.
  • Stop conflicts before they escalate. A good workday can be hectic, and can include problems and conflict. It’s important to be open about these ‘bumps on the road’, to acknowledge them as a sign of the dynamics of collaboration, and to resolve them through positive and constructive dialogue. Learn how to prevent disagreements from escalating into conflict and how to manage conflicts. Read more under Conflict between colleagues.
  • Say no to bullying. Speak up against offensive behaviour, bullying and harassment, and intervene if you see bullying. Read about Offensive behaviour.

Last revised at 04. July 2023