Does your organization use technology as a bridge - or a crutch? Here's how to conquer isolation in the workplace, improving both human connections and organizational performance.
Loneliness and isolation aren't new problems, yet they've been compounded in the digital age. Although we live in the most technologically connected era of human history, in some ways people are more alone than ever before.
This isolation has extended into the workplace, where remote work, telecommuting, and other digital options come with the potential side effect of separating your teams and causing disconnection. Several factors are at play in this sense of loneliness, yet business leaders can do much to change their team's trajectory into solitude.
Why Are We so Lonely at Work?
Workers increasingly demand a sense of fulfillment and achievement from their work. Yet several traits of the modern work world can push your team toward the opposite.
Over the past few decades, the U.S. has become a more geographically mobile society. Professionals are now willing and able to seek work in far-flung areas of the country and travel to those locations in order to pursue their career goals.
Doing so, however, separates these workers from family and friends back home. Geographically distant, they're no longer able to drop in on family or get together with old friends for a chat. When workers travel long distances for the sake of their careers, they may find that time zones impose an additional barrier on connection.
Technology can also separate people, sometimes within their own offices. For instance, co-workers may text or email the person in the next cubicle or down the hall, finding it easier to type a quick message than to stand up and visit in person. Each time electronic communication is chosen over an in-person chat, however, it deprives both parties of the chance to build that in-person relationship.
Similarly, while social media has helped us stay connected to distant loved ones, it can also cause a sense of separation. Social media serves as a curated window into the world of another person. Often, the sharing of troubles is diminished, while the sharing of an artificially inflated view of others' lives is highlighted. Too much social media scrolling can cause a reader to think that everyone else's lives are much better than their own - when, in fact, both they and the friends they check in on would be much better served talking about the good and bad together, face to face.
Finally, the way we work is often detrimental to our relationships. Connectivity makes it easier for work to occupy evenings, weekends and vacation time. Even when we're physically present with family or friends, checking our phone notifications or sending just one more work text causes us to be mentally and emotionally absent - and to pay a price.
The High Cost of Disconnection
Loneliness and weak social connections burden us emotionally, mentally and even physically. Studies indicate that chronic loneliness can reduce our lifespans by an amount equal to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness may shorten the lifespan even more than chronic obesity.
People who experience chronic loneliness are also more likely to suffer from a long list of health maladies, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression and anxiety.
At work, these conditions can take a toll on job performance. Even when lonely staff members enjoy excellent physical health, loneliness alone may cause their work performance to decrease, inhibit creativity, and interfere with reasoning and decision making.
Ways to Foster Connection
Fortunately, loneliness and isolation are curable - and business leaders can do much to help their teams overcome loneliness and foster connections that improve performance.
Leadership can begin by assessing the state of their workers' sense of connection. Questions like "Do you feel your colleagues value your contributions?" and "Do you feel that the company supports efforts to demonstrate kindness?" can help executives and managers identify opportunities to foster connection.
Leaders and managers can also lead by example. For instance, giving and accepting help is beneficial for both the helper and the person helped. This mutually reaffirming experience instantly improves the quality of work while also helping both parties develop a sense of connection.
Also, help your staff get to know one another as whole people, rather than merely as faces, names or job titles. When people feel understood and know what they share with co-workers, it's easier for them to build social relationships. Encouraging these connections can be as simple as asking staff to spend five minutes each week sharing photos, talking about their weekend plans or recommending books, music and shows to one another.
Finally, help your staff protect their personal time. Studies indicate that when workers separate work and home time, they are more engaged at work and healthier at home. For example, consider a policy that encourages staff not to address emails outside of work hours, and build a culture that discourages such practices.