When working on a project, or even in day-to-day work, we have different resources to carry out the necessary activities. It is common that when talking about these resources we refer to them as capitals, which are those essential elements to produce goods and services. There is, for example, financial capital, which refers to the value of an economic good at the time of maturity or availability; there is also fixed, human, physical capital, etc.
In these types of capital, there is one that has caught my attention in particular and it is Social Capital. The concept of Social Capital is to a certain extent new and its definition is still debated due to the breadth of its meaning, which varies according to the approach with which it is observed and even from which discipline it is studied: sociology, political science, economics, theory organizational, etc. That said, one of the definitions that try to conceptualize Social Capital in a very general way is that it refers to the goodwill that is generated as a product of social relationships, and that helps to carry out activities or generate actions 1.
This concept, applied in the workplace is essential, since practically all of us have social capital as a product of our relationships and activities carried out together with other colleagues in the workplace. Now, as I mentioned in the beginning, this concept has many faces and varies according to the approach with which it is seen; the social capital of each individual is one of those faces. However, on this occasion I would like to delve into the topic, seeing it as the social capital of a work team.
Just as we talk about financial, fixed capital, etc., the social capital in a team is very important, but it is rarely considered by both the team leader and the rest of the members. Teamwork involves collaborating with others, sharing information or skills to make the work of others possible, to facilitate the work of a team member, or to receive help from others to carry out or improve our own tasks.However, I think I am not mistaken in saying that we are more willing to help people for whom we feel affinity or sympathy, and we are less likely to want to help those who are indifferent or even dislike us. Of course, when it is part of our obligation, we will share the information with these people, but perhaps we are not willing to do a little more for them or to contribute to their results even when it is easy for us.
Social Capital is about supporting and collaborating with a group of people, which has proven to be superior to individual intelligence, since to some extent the need to compete is eliminated and instead everyone works towards a common purpose.
The bases of this Social Capital are found in the confidence and the feeling of belonging, the desire and the ability that we have as individuals to define collective goals and fulfill those goals as a team 1. Now, it seems that we naturally have this ability and desire to belong to a team or a group and take actions together to achieve the goals that we have set. The question is why many times it seems that projects or daily work are done "in spite of our team / colleagues" and not "thanks to our team / colleagues"?
If you are the leader of a team it is good that you consider, how “abundant” is the Social Capital in my team? In other words, how good is my team relationship? How much availability do they have to do activities that are not for their direct benefit but rather, to help or improve the results of another person?
Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, the author of several books on leadership and personnel management, in one of her TED talks she mentions that ideas generally do not emerge ready-to-run, but require refining, refining and refining. Ideas are born in essence, but it is through the collaboration and support of other people that they achieve their full potential 2. However, if the relationships of the team involved are not good, there will be little willingness of the members to help develop an idea that is not theirs. This seems very unfortunate to me because in my experience I have been able to see very good ideas slowed down or made less by the little disposition that the team shows, who sometimes even invalidate them for multiple reasons.
Like any resource, Social Capital (although it is intangible to a certain extent) is essential in a team and as such it deserves to be considered and, at the same time, should invest resources to make it grow. How to grow Social Capital? One of the most obvious responses may be to promote team coexistence outside of work issues. Create spaces so that there is that possibility of living together without the central theme being work. Additionally, talking about support and knowing how to ask others for help as something positive, also fosters better Social Capital. Eliminate the stigma that everyone should know how to do their activities and that if they ask someone else for help, then they “don't have the capacity” or “their performance is poor”. The role of the team leader is important to transmit the value that is generated in the achievement of the idea thanks to the mutual help between team members, because this way you open that door to which many people fear for feeling exposed to what others they can think of their ignorance.
There is still much to be said about Social Capital, as its effects, motivations, etc. are still being studied. With this article, the objective is that you know the concept, especially how positive it can be in a team if you know how to use it and exploit it to the fullest, since this is how good ideas can become extraordinary ideas and because in the end of the day as Margaret Heffernan put it , "Companies have no ideas, only people have them."
- Adler, PS, Kwon, S. (2002). Social Capital: Prospects for a New Concept. T he Academy of Management Review, 27 (1), 17-40, Heffernan, M. (2015). Margaret Heffernan: Forget the pecking order at work. Recovered from:
