From Book Club to Boardrooms

A few weeks ago, our book club did something a little different.

Instead of gathering around someone’s living room to talk about chapters and characters, we sat in an Arlington food court surrounded by plastic eggs, candy, and uplifting stickers. We filled 300 Easter eggs for She Believes in Me in Herndon. We laughed at the stickers that didn't make sense. We ate candy as we worked. Some eggs were overfilled. Some eggs didn't have enough... because we ate the candy. It was imperfect and easy and surprisingly meaningful.

And in between handfuls of jellybeans, we talked. Not the usual surface-level book club way. We not only debated over the quality of the book, but we had real conversations. About work. About life. About things that don’t usually come up in structured settings.

This kind of connection has become rare. According to a 2023 advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General, about half of adults in the United States report experiencing loneliness. Half. In a world that is more digitally connected than ever, people are quietly missing something fundamental.

Connection.

This is where companies have an opportunity. Not through another meeting. Not through forced icebreakers. But through shared experiences that feel human. When people have something to do with their hands, the pressure disappears. Conversations unfold naturally. There is no spotlight. No expectation to perform. Just a simple, shared task and space to be present.

I started weaving these kinds of give-back moments into our book club intentionally, based on my firsthand experience at a previous job. We started small. A volunteer event here. A casual service project there. No big speeches. No complicated agendas. Just invitations. And over time, it became clear that these moments did more than give back. They helped people feel like they belonged.

If you are thinking about how to create that kind of connection within your own organization, it does not have to be complicated.

You could start with something simple like packing backpacks for a back-to-school drive supporting Alexandria City Public Schools. Set up an assembly line. Put on some music. Let people move at their own pace and talk as they go.

Or consider organizing a session to make snack packs for Britepaths. It is easy to set up and immediately meaningful. People tend to connect more deeply when they can picture exactly who they are helping.

Another idea is hosting a tie blanket-making event for a local animal shelter. No special skills required. Just fabric, scissors, and a willingness to sit next to someone and create something together. It naturally opens the door for conversation.

You could also partner with organizations like FACETS to assemble meal kits or hygiene supplies for families in Fairfax. These kinds of activities are hands-on, purposeful, and easy for employees to jump into.

The common thread is simple. Give people something to do together. These gatherings work because they remove the awkwardness. There is a task. A purpose. A shared goal. People don’t have to wonder what to say. They just start doing something side by side. And in that space, connection forms naturally. It is low stress. It is genuine. It is memorable.

For employees, this matters more than we often realize. Feeling connected at work is not just a nice-to-have. It shapes how people show up. It influences engagement, retention, and overall well-being. When employees feel like they belong, they contribute in different ways. They stay longer. They care more.

But connection cannot be forced through policy or performance reviews. It grows in moments like filling Easter eggs. Packing backpacks. Cutting fleece into blankets. Simple acts that create room for conversation and shared meaning.

Companies don’t need elaborate programs to make this happen. They just need to create space. Start small. Keep it simple. Focus on doing something good together. Because sometimes, the most effective way to build community at work is not by asking people to connect. It is by giving them a reason to.