21/05/2023
Vivek Murthy has been leading the charge in awakening the world to the crisis of loneliness and, maybe, more importantly, what loneliness can look like other than being socially isolated.
For decades workplaces have left connection up to the employees. In some places, it worked because the people, knowingly or not, saw the benefit of investing in the human connections that lead to happier and healthier employees and more successful business. In other places, it didn't.
One U.S. study showed that 76% of employees found it difficult to build relationships in the workplace. Even if some want to argue that this number is high, whatever the number is, when half or more of your employees don't feel connected or have a sense of belonging, you won't get the best of those employees.
Pre-pandemic, the approach to workplace wellness was mainly focused on EAP and crisis management. Today, because we don't see people come and go due to the hybrid work structures, we can no longer wait for the crisis to arise. We don't get to do the daily gut check on people at their desks, and even though some would be putting on a facade to get through the workday, we could see they were able to get up, put clothes on and make it to the office. A low bar, but at least there was a bar.
Today there is no bar. You don't have to get up, you don't have to brush your teeth, get dressed and drive to the office. In that lies the need for leaders to build a deeper understanding of the importance of human connection within their organizations and catalyze healthy connection habits between their people. This will lead to the connected workplace that gives people a sense of connection, belonging, inclusion, and more. If someone is struggling and these structures are in place, they can take steps to stay connected, or others who notice when someone is absent from meetings, conversations, and social activities, might recognize the power of reaching out.
We have been speaking about building a great culture in workplaces for decades, but the foundation of great culture lies in the human interactions that make everyone feel seen, heard, valued, and included.
What are you doing to build an understanding of the power of human connection and facilitate the ongoing healthy connections that see both the organization and your employees thrive?
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy addresses our nation's loneliness and isolation crisis and the healing effects of social connection.Learn more: Surgeon...
