The Disconnected American Worker

Having lived through the workplace transformation that took place during and following the pandemic many have lost perspective on how profoundly the world of work has changed in the last four years or so. The experience of a close friend recently brought this into focus for me.

Following an extremely successful career he sold his company pre-COVID and retired at a young age. Earlier this year, when a company in which he had invested direly needed his expertise and leadership, he reentered the workforce. In a conversation a few days following his return he marveled to me at the way the company was able to pull together a virtual meeting of senior leaders on quite short notice. Separately, he was amazed that he could participate in a virtual meeting with a colleague and see the person and materials being presented at the same time. Of course, what appeared miraculous to him seems mundane and obvious to almost anyone in today’s workplace but to him it was all quite novel. His experience provides a stark reminder of how much we’ve changed in the past half decade.

These changes are not all for the better. While the advancements and transitions in the way we work have provided unprecedented improvements in efficiency and employee flexibility, they are taking a toll on the workforce, as highlighted by a recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “The Loneliness of the American Worker” (Te-Ping Chen, May 27, 2024). The article cites a 2023 survey by Bright Force indicating that 40% of fully remote workers go days without leaving the house and per Cushman & Wakefield those of us who do go to the office spend nearly a 25% of our time in virtual meetings while there.

Loneliness has myriad causes, but there’s plenty of research indicating that a sense of disconnectedness ranks high among them. Remote workers trapped in the house for days? 25% of our time in virtual meetings even when we’re in the office? Is it any wonder the American Worker feels disconnected and thus lonely? 

While the contributors to loneliness certainly go deeper than what happens during work hours, employers can do plenty to alleviate the problem.

Connect the team to its mission. One team I know well takes time in its weekly meeting to share how their activities and those of their teammates reflected the words in the company’s mission statement. This activity not only reinforces the importance of the organization’s mission, it provides team members with a nice opportunity to interact on a topic beyond the nuts and bolts of the weekly meeting.

Share examples of work-life integration. Iowa’s Mission Learning Systems emphasizes work-life integration as part of its culture. In other words, rather than drawing thick lines between work life and personal life it fosters and encourages the overlap of the two in the daily life of its team members. During this time individual team members can share a bit about their personal life and the team learns more about their teammates.

Get Social. I’m a big fan of integrating social activities into work events like trade shows and conferences. When a good portion of the team is traveling together, taking time off for gourmet cuisine or an afternoon at a high-tech driving range can let members get to know each other in a more casual environment and thereby become more connected to one another. A personal example: Last November while in Phoenix, Arizona I joined a group of teammates for a hike up Camelback Mountain. The experience left the group with a sincere sense of accomplishment and built camaraderie in ways a virtual icebreaker never could. Including employees who otherwise might not be in attendance for team dinners and business travel is a great tactic as well. In our distribution companies it’s not uncommon to see our administrative team, customer service reps, accounting staff and interns join the sales and senior leadership teams at trade shows, conferences and customer dinners. The resulting connection they can build to the company and its stakeholders is invaluable.

Encourage Outside Friendships. I love hearing stories about our team members having dinner together, taking care of each other’s pets to accommodate personal travel and building friendships along the way.

Focus on Wellbeing. Take time in senior leadership meetings to talk about the wellbeing and connectedness of team members, especially the newer ones or individuals who might be at risk of feeling disconnected.

Get Out of Your House. Practice what you preach and get into the office and out in the field with team members and customers. Leaders who expect team members to be social, outgoing and connected but spend their own time tied to virtual meetings on a home computer are missing the point. Leaders get the behaviors they exhibit, expect and tolerate.

Protect Your Culture. Finally, be a staunch protector of a culture that fosters connection and respect among teammates. Constructive feedback and suggestions are encouraged, personal attacks or a lack of consideration for another’s dignity should be sternly corrected on the spot.

A place of employment should one of connection, shared mission and friendship for our team members. Let’s all do what we can to fix the problem.