My sister just returned from a three-week cruise where she traveled without a companion. Fortunately for her, Norwegian took steps to ensure that she was not alone. Every night, the crew hosted a “solo travelers meet-up” with an activity (trivia, bingo, etc.), conveniently timed from 5-5:30 pm. This gathered the group and made it easy for some of them to go to dinner together and then follow dinner by sitting together at the entertainment. All this togetherness carried over to create initial friendships, where “solos” connected via social media, shared tips and research about port stops, went on excursions together, and even had their formal photo-on-the-steps taken as a group. “It made the trip,” she said, which is good not only for her but for Norwegian in attracting the growing solo traveler market.
Many organizations take care to onboard new individuals when they first start their employment but I wonder if they couldn’t go further and take a lesson from Norwegian and take steps to bring the “newbies” together. New employees are like solo travelers — they have yet to make connections in the organization and must navigate most things on their own. Beyond pairing the new employee with a buddy, could larger organizations hold the equivalent of “solo traveler meet-ups” once a week or once a month, conveniently timed before the lunch hour or before an all-hands-on-deck meeting, encouraging those who are new to bond with others in their situation, even if they are from different departments?
When I was on campus, we informally held a similar “New Kids” lunch once a month where new employees shared things they had learned beyond what was covered in orientation — policies, norms, and perks. It helped immensely in connecting us to the organization and each other.
Think about what you can do for your “solos.” It’s in everyone’s interest to make for smooth sailing.
