What makes people happy at work? Connections with other people. What do the connections mean for us? According to Rob Cross, who closed the Network Roundtable last week with thoughts on the importance of networks, listed some of the ways we use our social networks at work:

• Help getting work done
• Advancing our careers
• Gaining political support for new projects and ideas
• Making sense of events, rumors or trends
• Seeking personal support (e.g. after a bad day)
• Gaining a sense of purpose in work

Roundtable research is predicated on the hypothesis that better networks improve our ability to get work done, not just because of access to expertise or work-related assists, but also because of our affiliations with others. A “better” network is one that is diverse, where the dimensions of diversity may be related to levels in the hierarchy, areas of expertise, geographical distribution, age and tenure. It must also be diverse in providing the additional types of support that make work a comfortable place where we can also be who we are as human beings.

I’ve had a number of conversations lately with people who haven’t heard of Twitter, are just getting started with it, or who have drunk the Kool-Aid. Microblogging tools, including FaceBook status updates, are altering not only the way we create and  sustain relationships, but are augmenting our ability to extend the dimensions of those relationships. The more glimpses I get of others’ personal lives (the little bits that intersperse tweets about conferences, news items that rock, memes, and conundrums, the more I feel that these people are also part of my network. And when I see them in person, it’s always with a greater degree of comfort.

I believe this to be true for those of us consultants out here in the world, and would love to hear from people who are fortunate to be living in companies that provide this relational extension. Or who provide other means for employees to build and retain strong and diverse social networks.

Because another driver of the Network Roundtable’s research agenda is the evidence that people who are happy at work — by virtue in good part of having strong and diverse networks — are better performers.  Happiness is a result of good social capital, a critical element in a virtuous cycle that is linked to better business performance.