By Anja van den Berg

The Covid-19 pandemic pushed people into remote working and, while it kept us safe, it’s also leading to loneliness. Research shows that 65% of employees feel less connected to their co-workers. Employee disconnection is one of the main drivers of voluntary turnover, lower productivity, more missed days at work, and lower quality of work.

The remedy to workplace disconnection is stimulating friendship and meaningful connection at work. A 2019 report by The Institute of Leadership and Management found that building close relationships with co-workers was the most important factor in determining job satisfaction was indicated by 77% of respondents. Salary was eighth on the list.

Adam Poswolsky, the author of Friendship in the Age of Loneliness: An Optimist’s Guide to Connection, offers advice on how leaders can build connection in a disconnected workplace:

1. Create rituals for workplace connection.

Friendships don’t just happen. Leaders need to create consistent connection rituals that offer praise and appreciation on an ongoing basis. An example might be Gratitude Mondays or Storytelling Fridays. When it is safe to do so, it’s also a great idea to have in-person events where employees share examples of their hobbies or interests. Examples include opportunities where personnel can showcase their photography or art skills.

2. Build a reciprocity ring.

Heidi Grant, an organisational psychologist, says most co-workers are uncomfortable asking for help. The irony is that those same people won’t mind helping others when asked! To facilitate the asking process, Poswolsky recommends creating a reciprocity ring. People can meet in person or online, and everybody shares something they need help with. The rest of the group offers ideas, contacts and resources to support their colleague. Use a sharable spreadsheet to keep track of happenings and consider a WhatsApp group to stay connected and offer encouragement. Creating reciprocity rings will help build consistency and structure into how your colleagues can ask for help.

3. Make the onboarding experience experiential.

Since Covid-19 hit the country, thousands of people have started new jobs and have never met their co-workers in person. Poswolsky says that onboarding is a critical first opportunity to facilitate friendships at work. At Asana, they tried a virtual onboarding experience where new managers took turns asking questions about topics that they were most uncertain or curious about. Other new managers in the onboarding cohort then had the opportunity to offer advice, insights, and support to each person. The group became open to receiving help from their colleagues whom they had only just met. The onboarding cohort experienced the psychological safety that comes from being in a safe environment to admit mistakes, ask questions, and try new things, as well as the feeling  of mutual support that created a container for a deeper connection.

Source:

Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2022/01/how-leaders-can-build-connection-in-a-disconnected-workplace