Why I was so fortunate - Grant Sommers

Social interaction is not something I was missing during my internship with the European Parliament. I was lucky enough to not only have another Furman student working with me, who made the days much more enjoyable to have a friend there, but I was also lucky enough to have had two other intern in the office, both of whom I got along with very well. One girl had to return to China in early February, but the other intern (Tom) was with us until we left. Everyday, I looked forward to his positive attitude when he arrived at work.

Besides us interns, I also felt social interaction was not lacking even between us and people of higher authority. My MEP and his assistant would often come into our office, something I learned was not commonplace for other interns. I feel very lucky in that regard. I truly was welcomed and made to feel like a member of the office, largely due to the respect and sense of belonging I was afforded.

There are several known benefits to having healthy social interaction in the workplace. These benefits not only serve the wellbeing of workers but also serve the wellbeing of the company/organization as a whole. When employees have friendly social interaction at work and feel welcomed, not only is their emotional wellbeing protected some, but they are more likely to be loyal to the organization and motivated to do better quality work, as well.

Also, it has been shown that when there is healthy social interaction at work, the instance of issues such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and even obesity is less among employees. With social interaction, employees are less likely to take sick days and more likely to throw all their effort into the work. Truly a win-win for the employee and company.

Within a company or organization, social interaction can also lead to better interdepartmental communication, which helps build a strong, well-rounded organization as well as fosters team building. Besides the benefits to the company in this regard, learning skills of teamwork is valuable for the employee in his or her current or future employment.

I was able to see these benefits firsthand in Brussels. Aside from normal performance

anxiety, I hardly felt uncomfortable around the office, and with some positive feedback from my supervisor, I was ready to do good work. I also learned some valuable lessons in teamwork. I am not usually keen on working with other people. Granted, not much of our work was truly collaborative (although that was included sometimes) but it was nice to have some experience working in the presence of others, getting used to different personalities, making friends, and (very lucky for me) experiencing a positive office setting.