Helping Men and Women Get to Know Each Other Better at Work
Dr Jill Armstrong’s Collaborating With Men project aims to tackle everyday sexism in the workplace and lay the foundation for a more gender inclusive workplace. She believes men and women need to be working together more often if we’re ever going to see gender equality in the workplace.
In this 90-second video from the 2018 Happy Workplaces Conference, Jill offers some ideas for getting men and women to form more relaxed social interactions in the workplace.
Hi, we are Happy
We are leading a movement to create happy, empowered and productive workplaces.
How can we help you and your people to find joy in at least 80% of your work?
How to Help Men and Women Get to Know Each Other Better at Work
What I want to do is give you a few ideas about how to encourage men and women to actually form more relaxed social interactions in the workplace. There are all sorts of ways of doing this, so for example men and women can mentor each other. There’s an idea that came up in our work about Walkabout Wednesdays where people are charged with going to meet someone they don’t know and ideally somebody of the different gender also, so just kind of being encouraged by the management to take a bit of time out and get to know people.
One idea which came from Happy is eating only in the social spaces. Rather than eating at your desk, when you have your lunch, you actually talk to the people around you. So, some ideas there about what can be done to make sure that there is a lot of mixing between people who don’t necessarily feel comfortable with each other; between people who don't necessarily know each other very well. This, of course, is a point that applies to men and women but also people of different ages and backgrounds.
What ways do you think will work in your workplaces to help more men and women get to know each other better?
Men and women mentoring each other is one of Jill’s suggestions, walkabout Wednesdays is another.
“[Walkabout Wednesdays is] where people are charged with going to meet someone they don’t know and ideally somebody of the different gender also. So just being encouraged by the management to take a bit of time out and get to know people,” Jill says.
Jill also highlights Happy’s policy of people eating only in the social spaces. “Rather than eating at your desk, when you have your lunch, you actually talk to the people around you,” she says.
Jill’s ideas are all aimed at stimulating connections between people who don’t know each other or don’t necessarily feel comfortable with each other. “This, of course, is a point that applies to men and women but also people of different ages and backgrounds,” she says.
Related resources
- 11 takeaways from the 2018 Happy Workplaces conference: read Henry’s blog about all the big ideas discussed at the 2018 Happy Workplaces conference
- Take The Happy Challenge – Henry’s challenges managers to make no decisions for three months
- 8 Principles From Some of the Best Workplaces on the Planet – Pim de Morree looks at eight trends from some of the world’s most engaged workplaces
- Click here to read more about the Collaborating with Men project
Keep informed about happy workplaces
Sign up to Henry's monthly Happy Manifesto newsletter, full of tips and inspiration to help you to create a happy, engaged workplace.
Learn the 10 core principles to create a happy and productive workplace in Henry Stewart's book, The Happy Manifesto.
About Dr. Jill
Dr. Jill Armstrong is an academic researcher on men, women and gender equality at work. Jill is lead researcher on the Murray Edwards College ‘Collaborating with men’ project, working with men and women to change workplace culture for the benefit of all.
Next Conference: Women in Leadership Online Conference
Save the date for our online conference on 12th November 2025, celebrating women in leadership.
You will hear from inspiring female leaders about how they have created happy and empowered workplaces.
There will be interaction, discussion, space for reflection and opportunities to network with other leaders.
Related courses
The Happy Leadership Programme
Brave Leadership: One-Year Leadership Development Programme for Women
Level 7 Senior Leadership Apprenticeship Programme
Not what you need? Take a look at all of our off-the-shelf Leadership and Management programmes.