I love country music. Not a little, but a lot. As in, belt-out-the-songs-in-the-car-and-make-my-kids-cringe-kind-of-love. And I bet most of you didn’t know that about me.

Now this information won’t dramatically change your life (although you may now politely decline if I offer you a ride), but I bet you feel like you know me a little bit better.

This begs the question: how well do you know your colleagues? You may think it doesn’t matter, but numerous studies show that work friendships help prevent burnout and encourage the type of engagement and collaboration that drives organizational success.

So, when Monday rolls around, ask your colleagues what they did over the weekend….and really listen. Maybe you will discover that your unassuming co-worker is a competitive swimmer, or that the millennial who frustrates you by leaving work daily at 4pm is caring for a sick parent, or that your colleague grew up in eastern Europe and can help you understand the cultural nuances of your global customers. You will quickly learn that it is worth taking the time to get to know your colleagues a little better.

By the way, I am also completely fascinated by the sleeper cabs on long-haul trucks, but that’s a story for another day.