Be the first to do the awkward thing, like talking to the new kid, and everyone else gets permission.

Nearly everybody in a room wants the awkward thing to happen and is waiting for somebody else to absorb the cost of going first. Once one person crosses, it stops being awkward, and everybody who was frozen gets to behave as though they were about to anyway. You are not only doing the kind thing, you are issuing permission.

Be first this week on something small, whether that is talking to whoever is standing alone, asking the obvious question or starting the cleanup. Do it without waiting for a signal. Watch how fast company arrives once you have gone.