How to be happy at work? Make friends with colleagues.

The Brief
This post comes from the RelSci 5, our weekly newsletter for and about nonprofit leaders. Its curated articles and insights revolve around a different theme each week and will help you do your job better. This week’s theme is Self-Improvement.

1. Why work friends matter. Interested in a staff that’s as committed to your organization as you are? Well, a recent Gallup poll showed that one in two people who had a best friend on the job also felt a strong connection to their company. Compare that to only one in 10 people who didn’t have such a friend, and you’ll want to check out these four ways you can make workplace friendship the norm. 

2. Habitual offenders. We all make poor decisions, every day. But when the effects of these choices go beyond your lunch order and seep into, you know, your fundraising goals or employee morale, it’s time to take a look at how you got to this place. Turns out, you might be guilty of some of these bad habits, and they’re messing with your head.

3. Take a break! Speaking of bad habits, do you have a work buddy who sits day after day chained to her desk, never breaking eye contact with her computer? If so, it’s time to whack her over the head…with science. Research shows that to remain productive, our brains require periodic breaks.  And it’s time we stop feeling guilty about taking them.

4. Room for improvement. The best ideas come out of collaborative work, and team leaders are largely responsible for establishing the kind of environment that encourages collaboration. Here are ten ways you can up your leadership game. Team members, you aren’t off the hook either!

5. Just because. Grab your calculators and lacrosse sticks. New research has shown that tomorrow’s leaders—or at least, tomorrow’s big earners and potential donors—will be a bunch of super-social mathletes.