I’m fascinated by a three-way relationship between: 1. Getting stuff done, 2. How much we like the people we’re getting stuff done with and 3. Dancing.
Before I dive in to this topic, please take this fun quiz, and practice the dance move you’re shown at the end (the dance move you get at the end will depend on your quiz score).
We’ve all got one.
That colleague who grinds your gears. The one who talks too much (or too little), hijacks meetings, leaves you out of emails, or just feels wrong.
You might be professional. Polite. Even charming.
But deep down, you know this: You really don’t like them.
Social Attraction vs Task Attraction
We’ve known since the early 1970’s, thanks to the work of James McCroskey and Thomas McCain, that there’s a relationship between social attraction and task attraction. Psychologists have studied this for decades. We use the terms:
• Social attraction: How much you like someone
• Task attraction: How much you want to work with someone
And here’s what’s been found:
There’s a moderate to strong positive correlation between social attraction and task attraction.
In plain English: if you like someone more, you’re more likely to want to work with them.
Which makes sense. We collaborate better when we trust and enjoy the people we work with. Teams with higher levels of interpersonal liking tend to show:
• Better communication
• More idea sharing
• Higher creativity
• Greater resilience under pressure
Movement Changes Minds
But what if you don’t like them?
You’re stuck with X on this project. You don’t trust them. You’re dreading the collaboration.
What can you do to improve the relationship — fast?
Here’s where things get interesting.
When people dance together in synchrony, even total strangers report liking each other more.
This is a well-established finding in psychology and neuroscience. Synchronous movement releases oxytocin and endorphins. It boosts feelings of connection, empathy, and trust.
So, if you want to work better with someone you don’t like, one surprising solution is to:
Dance with them.
A Quiz, a Dance, a New Perspective
That’s exactly what this new quiz is all about.
• First, you’ll think of someone you don’t like at work.
• Then, you’ll rate how willing you’d be to collaborate with them.
• Based on your results, I’ll share a short synchronised movement video you can try — the kind I use in corporate keynotes to spark connection.
It’s quick, evidence-informed, and fun.
And it just might change how you think about team dynamics and workplace wellbeing.
Ready to Spark Change in Your Workplace?
This is just a tiny taste of what we do at Doctor Dance.
Through keynotes, workshops, and interactive sessions, I help organisations:
• Break down silos
• Improve collaboration
• Boost creativity and wellbeing
• And energise entire teams through movement
Because when you move, you improve.
Book Doctor Dance for your next team day, conference, or leadership retreat.
Let’s get your people moving — and connecting — in all the right ways.
Contact: lindsey@doctordance.com
www.doctordance.com
Dr Peter Lovatt
8th July 2025
