Disclose

The researchers conducted a field experiment at a large U.S. tech firm that was expanding its remote workforce and looking to encourage connections among employees. They divided nearly 500 employees into groups, pairing each person with a previously unknown partner for a phone conversation. The groups were given varying instructions for the calls. People should: disclose work-related information about themselves; disclose nonwork information; discuss both kinds of information; or simply exchange ideas about collaboration. Two weeks later participants rated their partners on supportiveness and indicated their interest in maintaining contact.

The researchers used natural language processing to analyze the calls for indications of participants’ need for achievement (signified by words such as “accomplish” and “lead”), power (“obey,” “win”), and affiliation (“help,” “together”) and mapped the results against the survey answers. Most strikingly, discussions about work contained more words related to achievement than did discussions about other topics—and that made people feel less supported and less inclined to initiate further contact. A subsequent lab experiment involving face-to-face conversations largely mirrored those results. “Talking about what one does outside of work seems useful, as it lowers the use of words that suggest an achievement orientation and makes one seem more supportive,” the researchers write. “And that might lead to longer-lasting connections.”