In an office full of new colleagues, someone suggests the classic team outing: pizza. One hungry soul digs in a bit too fast and burns the roof of his mouth. It’s embarrassing at first, but before long, it becomes a running joke—and surprisingly, it might actually matter.

Such small, shared experiences—whether they’re fun, awkward, or even tense—can bring people together in ways that emails and team meetings never do. Research from Binghamton University suggests that these moments help people bond across job roles, making it easier to work together later on. For managers, the message is simple: shared experiences can be an asset, so create opportunities for people to make memories together.

Forging bonds

To explore this, the researchers looked at a striking example: a 170-day labor strike at a South Korean public broadcaster, which they called “TelvCorp.” In 2012, reporters there went on strike, protesting against what they saw as government meddling. The new CEO, seen as a political appointee, was accused of censoring news critical of the government. As the strike went on, non-reporters who’d initially held back began joining after union leaders were fired, forming what the researchers call a “mnemonic community”—a group with a shared memory that binds it together.

These bonds lasted well beyond the strike. But the unity had a downside, too. Those who had stayed on the sidelines became “outsiders” to the new in-group, which created long-term rifts. “It was hard to go back to normal,” the researchers said. “New alliances had formed, and some people no longer saw the colleagues who had chosen the other side as trustworthy.”

While TelvCorp’s story is unique, the study suggests lessons for other workplaces. Team-building activities, however simple, can create connections that boost collaboration. The researchers suggest that a company retreat—where, say, someone tries the rope swing and ends up soaked—can create memories that help people feel more comfortable sharing ideas and backing each other up later.

So, yes, that first bite of too-hot pizza may seem silly, but in the long run, it can be the start of a bond that matters. The researchers put it this way: “When people have shared experiences, they’re more likely to support each other. Why not make those experiences memorable?”