Warmth That Works For Everyone

Many organizations aspire to build a warm culture, one where people feel comfortable, seen, and valued.

But warmth can take many forms. For some, it shows up as lively conversations, celebrating birthdays, team activities, or shared outings. These expressions of connection feel natural and energizing to them.

For others, warmth is best received in quiet forms: the unspoken care behind generous PTO, comfortable workspaces, flexibility to work from home when it makes sense, or a manager who respects focus time.

All of this contributes to warmth. It’s not about how visible the care is, it’s about whether people can feel it.

Personally, I like a bit of both. It’s nice to know one’s colleagues and have moments to connect during breaks. It’s also nice to have quiet time to focus and get work done. When I was a lab manager, I took care of birthday cakes and farewell parties and enjoyed celebrating milestones with my lab mates. And I also appreciated that those moments were limited in time and scope, so that lab activities didn’t feel socially demanding.

A truly warm culture doesn’t prescribe how to connect, or force friendliness or belonging. It honors the full range of human expression and recognizes that genuine care can look lively or serene, structured or spontaneous.

When warmth is attuned rather than uniform, teams thrive because people feel comfortable being themselves at work, regardless of their personality style.

How is warmth expressed in your workplace?