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This thought seemed unlikely at first, but feedback from several sources suggests loneliness may be a significant industry problem. We are social animals. We associate with a spouse, parents, children, and grandchildren. A the workplace, we interact with other people. But the 2020 covid pandemic changed things.
During the pandemic, knowledge workers were asked to work remotely. Those who already lived alone were deprived of social interaction in the workplace. Online communication is not the same as face-to-face discussions. Many people handled this well, but some did not.
Adding to this, digital technology has created gig work. These workers enjoy flexible schedules, but they have few opportunities to develop relationships with colleagues.
“It is lonely at the top” describes the isolation felt by senior executives, particularly chief executives. Because they are socially distant from many people in their organizations, they have less interaction with colleagues than other workers. Two chief executive organizations, YPO and Vistage International, were founded decades ago by people who recognized their role in combating lonelinessp. In 1984, a Harvard Business Review article by D. Gumpert and D. Boyd explored the subject of “the loneliness of the small business owner.” Their research found that 52% of business owners experience loneliness.
To combat this pandemic, individuals need to develop their personal strategies, and companies need to develop a strategy to help their employees. Understand your desired level of social interaction. How much networking do you need to be happy in your job as well as your life? Then determine whether you are getting what you need. Evaluate the conditions that make social connections difficult. Maybe working from home is a bad idea, and it’s time to get back to the office. Maybe you are not using the phone and computer enough to get the desired level of communication with colleagues. Consider the resources available to you to combat loneliness.
Companies should also develop strategies to deal with loneliness. Audit work practices to discover what causes social isolation. Remove social barriers by creating a more inclusive work environment. Recognize the fact that some minority employees feel isolated by racial attitudes. As an employer, you have the power to promote and normalize an inclusive atmosphere in the workplace.
Provide opportunities for employees to have repeated face-to-face interaction. Combating loneliness is a two-way street, and both the company and the employees must take charge of overcoming a lonely environment. No doubt the first step in combating workplace loneliness is to recognize that it is a problem, and one that may be much larger than most of us realize.
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