Stress is our collective enemy. We talk about it all the time, but we do not seem to do much about it. That’s why we keep talking about it. Perhaps we do not know what to do or how to do it. To know what to do and how, we have to first understand why stress occurs and how to recognize the difference between good and bad stress. (Yes, both exist).

People do their best work when they feel deeply connected to the people around them and the organization they are part of. The greatest determinant of work satisfaction and fulfillment is not compensation or unlimited vacation. It’s close relationships with colleagues. That’s right, the secret to keeping people happy is people.

Every culture is a set of unique and evolving relationships working toward a shared goal. It isn’t something you have, it is something you do. A healthy organizational culture is a healthy group, at scale. Culture does not come from the top down. It is built from inside of every work group. The healthier your work groups, the healthier your organizational culture as a whole.

In every group, there are social forces that drive groups together and apart. They are often felt, but not articulated. In the workplace, particularly within the teams or work groups we are part of, we focus most often on what the group says or does, and not enough on how the group feels. The felt experience of interactions among members of a group determine how well the group works together to accomplish shared goals.