Skip to main content

How To Reduce Worker Loneliness

Here is a book that provides workplace leaders an urgently needed methodology for helping companies to reduce worker loneliness, and it delivers a blueprint for building strong, high-performing workplace teams.

The book is, Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams From Isolated To All In, by Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen. 

“72% of workers suffer from loneliness. And, what was once a simmering problem shifted to a crisis when COVID-19 and the sudden transition to remove work isolated workers from each other as never before,” report the authors. 

“Loneliness is the absence of connection,” explain the authors. “Loneliness is not defined by the lack of people, because someone can be lonely even while surrounded by others. We require more than the presence of others. We require the presence of others to dream, strategize, and work toward commons goals.” 

Furthermore, “workplace loneliness is defined by the distress caused by the perceived inadequacy of quality connection to teammates, leaders and the organization itself.” Case in point and perhaps surprising to some, Jenkins and Van Cohen explain that team members who work remotely but feel connected to the work and their team can experience less loneliness than a team member who works alongside colleagues in an office but lacks a strong connection.” 

Using the findings from the authors’ survey of over 2,000 workers worldwide across 50 global organizations, and sourcing from over a decade of helping companies to reduce loneliness, the authors show readers how to: 

  • Identify lonely or burned-out employees
  • Create environments of belonging and inclusion
  • Create and cultivate connections across teams (in person or remote)
  • Create psychological safety for employees
  • Create connected, driven, and high-performing teams using the 4-step Less Loneliness Framework™. 

Revealing, insightful, and packed with a good balance of science, statistics, stories, and actionable strategies, the book, Connectable, is an incredibly timely must-read for leaders. 

Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen

Earlier this year, the authors shared these insights:

Question: When did you decide to write your book and how did the pandemic influence your book? 

Jenkins & Van Cohen: In early 2019, we discovered research that highlighted that 73% of Gen Z workers reported sometimes or always feeling alone. Surprised and saddened by that number, we began exploring what was causing this loneliness. As we began our pre-pandemic research, it became clear that it wasn’t just Gen Z who were experiencing loneliness, but everyone was. 

Considering there weren’t any resources to help organizations lessen worker loneliness, we decided to create it. Loneliness isn’t shameful, it’s a signal. A signal we belong together. And we believed the best place to tackle the loneliness epidemic was at the place we convene the most, work. And leaders were best positioned to cultivate more belonging among their teams. 

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we began sharing our loneliness research with clients and were astonished by how large the appetite was for this topic. The pandemic had finally pulled back the curtain on the concealed topic of loneliness. Two years, one book, two frameworks, an app, and a team connection assessment later we are thrilled to see how accessible this topic has become for organizations big and small all over the world. 

While loneliness was growing before the pandemic, our research showed that feelings of loneliness and isolation escalated during the pandemic. 

Question: With so many workforces working from home what can leaders do to lessen worker loneliness? 

Jenkins & Van Cohen: Here are three of the many strategies that we share in our book: 

#1. Lead with context, not control.

Mistrust is a big component of loneliness, therefore building trust is important in making a team less lonely and more connected. One way to build trust is to use context. Control is the opposite of trust. Little trust is present among a team where a leader controls every employee’s action and decision. Context on the other hand is providing the team with the necessary information so that they can act and decide on their own. Context builds trust. Trust builds connection. 

Lead with context and not control. High performance people will do better work if they understand the context (the why). If you don’t trust your team to take the right actions and make the right decisions after giving the appropriate context, you likely have a hiring problem. 

#2. Establish psychological safety using proportional conversations.

Teams where a manager spoke 80% of the time (or more) were less successful than teams who practiced equal turn-taking during discussions, or proportional conversation. Teams where every member has equal opportunity to speak and be heard are the most successful. A psychological safe team is a connected team where everyone feels comfortable to speak up, be seen, and heard. 

Ensure every team member feels that they have an equal chance to speak and be heard. Be mindful of talking too much yourself and of team members who speak too much or too little. Encourage every team member to participate. For the introverts on your team, following up after a meeting to get their thoughts is a good practice. 

#3. Promote work-life balance.

Employees are less lonely among employers that promote good work-life balance and when they can “leave work at work.” Work-life balance should be pursued and consistently reevaluated by any organization. Too much work can leave people feeling isolated from those in their personal lives. Too much work can leave people feeling isolated from those in their personal lives. 

Support volunteering, encourage vacations, offer childcare, or extend parental leave are all examples of how organizations can help team members strike better work-life balance. 

Question: How has the use of Zoom and similar platforms in the workplace increased or decreased worker loneliness? 

Jenkins & Van Cohen: It’s important to remember that loneliness is defined by the absence of connection, not people. A solo remote worker who is connected to their leader or work, can experience less loneliness than a non-remote worker who works alongside people in a crowded office. 

Thank goodness we had such robust technology, like Zoom, to connect with each other when we were forced to disconnect. 

Cultivating connections via these technology platforms can occur. It often takes more intentionality than in-person but still very possible. 

It’s also important to note that communication isn’t connecting. Remote workers use various tech tools to communicate with their colleagues all day, but they aren’t necessarily connecting. So, leaders should ask themselves: “Am I connecting or just communicating?” 

Question: As a leader uses your 4-step framework how quickly should she/he start to realize lessening loneliness and a boost in belonging within their workplace? 

Jenkins & Van Cohen: Loneliness can be easily and quickly reduced, when you know what to do. Research proves that simple pro-social behaviors reduce loneliness in as little as a 40-seconds. Having meaningful 1on1 conversations, befriending one person at work, or spending five minutes to share something personal before or after a virtual meeting, all help people feel seen. 

However, loneliness is a subjective feeling and can be difficult to track. That’s why we created the first tool to effectively assess the strength of relationships among a team. It’s called the Team Connection Assessment™ and it has been statistically validated to measure the levels of isolation and belonging that exists among a team. 

This tool provides leaders with a way to measure and track the progress they are making towards a more connected, healthier and higher-performing team. Leaders can take the 15-minute assessment or deliver it to their team.

Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How To Find The Job You Love

In 2024, I named Be The Unicorn: Data-driven Habits That Separate The Best Leaders From The Rest , by William Vanderbloemen , as the best new leadership book of that year.   The book is timely, incredibly practical, and immediately usable for any leader wherever they are on their leadership journey.   Through extensive research of more than 30,000 top leaders and proprietary data, Vanderbloemen identified in the book the twelve habits that the best of the best leaders have in common. These superstar leaders are the unicorns – highly desirable but that are difficult to find or obtain.   And now, Vanderbloemen followed up that gem of a book with another terrific book called, Work How You Are Wired: 12 Data-Driven Steps To Finding A Job You Love . It’s a great companion book to Be The Unicorn .   Those 12 steps align with these 12 personality traits/interpersonal habits: Fast Authentic Agile Solver Anticipator Prepared Self-aware Curious Connected Likeable Producti...

How To Lead Bigger

Anne Chow ’s book,  Lead Bigger , is about “where it all comes together.” By that, she means: Being driven by a compelling purpose and values, which are not platitudes, but rather lived. The goals are better decisions, improved performance, and ultimately a greater impact. Impact means you have the power to make real and enduring change for the better. Widening your perspective to have a greater performance and impact. Advancing work that matters. Developing a vital, innovative workforce that is both trusted and agile. Championing flexibility by embracing trust and empowerment for individuals, teams, and leaders alike.   Drawing from over three decades of experience, former CEO of AT&T Business Chow shares that leading bigger also means:   Embracing the whole of your team beyond the workplace : Seeing the value and potential of each individual—in the context of not only their work, but also their life.   Engaging in self-reflection : Demonstrating self-awareness ...

How To Align Sales And Marketing To Drive Company Success

Nearly 90 percent of startups will fail without ever reaching a point of positive return on investment. Founders and entrepreneurs are facing unprecedented challenges in pursuit of becoming one of the coveted 10 percent.   Who better to turn to for advice than the duo behind the most successful software IPO in history?   That is where Denise Persson and Chris Degnan come in, authors of the new book, Make It Snow .   During the nearly nine years they worked together at Snowflake, they built  one of the longest-running and most effective sales-marketing partnerships from the ground up, unifying  two historically divided groups in corporate America. Together, they took Snowflake from struggling startup to a tech powerhouse on par with Google and Amazon. Over the years, Snowflake surged to more than 9,000 employes and $3 billion in annual sales.   “Sales and marketing are often neglected in startups, with focus squarely placed on the engineerin...

Effective Listening: Do's And Don'ts

Here are some great tips from Michelle Tillis Lederman's book, The 11 Laws of Likability .  They are all about: what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener : Do : Maintain eye contact Limit your talking Focus on the speaker Ask questions Manage your emotions Listen with your eyes and ears Listen for ideas and opportunities Remain open to the conversation Confirm understanding, paraphrase Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile) Ignore distractions Don't : Interrupt Show signs of impatience Judge or argue mentally Multitask during a conversation Project your ideas Think about what to say next Have expectations or preconceived ideas Become defensive or assume you are being attacked Use condescending, aggressive, or closed body language Listen with biases or closed to new ideas Jump to conclusions or finish someone's sentences

How To Embrace And Learn From Failing

When you read the book,  Right Kind of Wrong: The Science Of Failing Well , you’ll gain a greater appreciation for the benefits that comes from failure, and how to embrace failure as part of your journey to achieving greater success.   Author  Amy Edmondson ’s book and revolutionary guide will undoubtedly transform your relationship with failure.   She defines  failure  as an outcome that deviates from desired results. Failure is a lack of success. Failure is different, explains Edmondson, from  errors  and  violations . “Errors (synonymous with mistakes) are unintended deviations from prespecified standards, such as procedures, rules, or policies. Violations occur when an individual intentionally deviates from the rules,” adds Edmondson.   After decades of award-winning research, Edmondson provides the framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely. Outlining the three archetypes of failure— basic ,  complex , and  i...

Use A Board Of Advisors

David Burkus often provides valuable comments to my various Blog postings, and he's a person who effectively uses a board of advisors, instead of mentors, to help him achieve success. "I've found that in my life, it was easier and more effective to set up a board of advisors," said Burkus, the editor of LeaderLab . "This is a group of people, three to five, that have rotated into my life at various times and that speak into it and help me grow. I benefit from the variety of experience these people have." LeaderLab is an online community of resources dedicated to promoting the practice of leadership theory. Its contributors include consultants and professors who present leadership theory in a practitioner-friendly format that provides easy-to-follow explanations on how to apply the best of leadership theory. Community users can download a variety of research reports and presentations about leadership and leadership versus management. For example, a pr...

Resolve To Find A Mentor In 2011

Having a mentor is one of the best things you can do to advance your career as a leader. So, decide today to secure a mentor who will work with you during 2011. Make that one of your New Year’s resolutions. A mentor can benefit leaders new to their leadership role and they can benefit experienced and seasoned leaders, as well. A strong mentoring relationship allows the mentor and the mentee to develop new skills and talents, to build confidence, and to build self-awareness. Proper mentoring takes a commitment from both parties and it takes time to develop and to reap the rewards of the relationship. Plan to work with your mentor for no less than three months, and ideally for six months or longer. When seeking out a mentor, think about these questions: 1.  Will the relationship have good personal chemistry? 2.  Can this person guide me, particularly in the areas where I am weakest? 3.  Will this person take a genuine interest in me? 4.  Does this person ha...

Great Business Quote

Here's a great quote from author and speaker Harvey Mackay : "When a person with money meets a person with experience, the person with the experience ends up with the money, and the person with the money ends up with the experience."

How To Write An Employee Satisfaction And Engagement Survey

According to Polaris , a company that specializes in employee research, “a company’s employees are often the face and frontline of an organization and their opinion of that organization affects their attitude, thus affecting customers’ attitudes, behavior and ultimately, the bottom line.” That is why Polaris recommends that business leaders conduct employee research that allows leaders to better understand what motivates employees, drives loyalty, and makes and keeps employees happy. “An added benefit of conducting employee satisfaction research is that, in doing so, a company lets their employees know they are important, their opinions and suggestions matter, and there is a sincere desire to make the company an enjoyable place to work,” reports Polaris. Here are 10 questions Polaris recommends you ask employees as part of a wide-ranging employee satisfaction and engagement survey : For each of the following statements, indicate if you: • Strongly disagree • Disagree • Somew...

Debbie Laskey On Branding And Leadership

Image Credit: Freepik . For years, branding, marketing and leadership expert, Debbie, Laskey , has offered her insights, observations and tips to my blog readers. Today, Debbie joins us again to answer questions about branding and leadership. Debbie Laskey has nearly three decades of marketing experience and an MBA Degree. She developed her marketing expertise while working in the high-tech industry, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, the nonprofit arena, and financial services and insurance sectors. Her expertise includes brand marketing, leadership development, and customer experience marketing. She is a regular contributor to several national blogs that provide insights about marketing and leadership, and she's been recognized as one of the "Top 50 Branding Experts" to follow on Twitter/X at @DebbieLaskeyMBA. Visit her website at www.BrandingAndMore.net and her blog at www.DebbieLaskeysBlog.com.   QUESTION: NBC has launched a new unscri...