Guidelines for avoiding and managing unwanted loneliness at work
Avoiding unwanted loneliness and properly managing the problem in organizations has repercussions in various dimensions.
Improvements in innovation capacity .
A work environment in which loneliness is properly managed fosters greater collaboration and, as a result, greater innovation due to the greater influx of diverse ideas (Amabile & Kramer, 2011).
Improvements in the ability to attract and retain talent.
Reducing the risk of unwanted loneliness tends to increase job satisfaction and, therefore, improves the recruitment and retention of new employees. Conversely, higher rates of unwanted loneliness are associated with higher turnover rates (Eisenberger et al., 2002).
Increased commitment to the project.
When employees feel more supported and connected to the organization and its purpose, they are also more loyal and their contribution is more consistent over time. This is the opposite of what happens when they feel alone in the organization (Meyer & Allen, 1991).
Reduction of health-related costs.
Unwanted loneliness is linked to mental and physical health problems, the solutions to which involve higher costs for both the company and the public health system. Improving mental and physical health can reduce absenteeism and medical expenses (Cigna, 2022).
Improvement of the organization's internal and external reputation.
Organizations that promote healthy work environments and take steps to prevent loneliness in the workplace can enhance their reputation as employers. This has significant benefits for attracting and retaining talent, as well as for productivity (Turban & Cable, 2003).
How to detect unwanted loneliness at work?
Avoiding the problem of unwanted loneliness in the workplace, and therefore its undesirable consequences, requires a conscious and voluntary process that involves detecting the problem and taking action by management and the entire workforce.
Anyone in an organization can be alert to the following signs of unwanted loneliness:
Physical isolation. If your organization is characterized by many jobs and times that involve physical isolation, or if people spend most of their time alone doing their tasks, with little interaction with colleagues, at least during breaks, then unwanted loneliness may be occurring.
The lack of group activities or participation. If your organization doesn't establish group or collective meeting times, or if participation is low when they are promoted, it may be creating a breeding ground for loneliness.
The lack of opportunities for recognition. Whether due to a lack of established habits or a lack of time, if you feel that your organization doesn't provide spaces for conversations that acknowledge good work (or that offer friendly and constructive feedback to prevent mistakes), you may be developing feelings of unwanted loneliness.
Attitudes characteristic of personal isolation. Regardless of their psychological makeup, some people may interact minimally with colleagues and supervisors, or remain quiet and uninvolved in group decisions, or have a history of absenteeism, tardiness, or leaving early without apparent reason. They may also be reluctant to work in teams and prefer to work independently. In such cases, and if there is no justification for it, this behavior could begin to be associated with the onset of unwanted loneliness.
The feelings associated with unwanted loneliness. Similarly, some people in the organization may exhibit noticeable and seemingly unexplained changes in their behavior and emotions: irritability, sadness, lack of energy or enthusiasm, pessimistic or self-critical comments. This lack of motivation may be linked to unwanted loneliness.
Causes and risk factors of unwanted loneliness in the workplace
Given these indications, the following recommendations may be helpful.
Recommendations for managers and middle managers
Build trust to generate security
People need safe environments to perform at their best. Undoubtedly, in these environments, cases of unwanted loneliness are less likely to proliferate and are easier to prevent. Safety is based on building spaces of trust, and this, in turn, depends on the work of everyone who can contribute to it, from senior management to employees. A greater sense of trust leads to a lower perception of uncertainty and, therefore, a greater sense of security and connection.
Build cooperation to create opportunities
Building team awareness offers numerous benefits. Creating cooperative environments offers even more. Projects develop with greater value and innovation by incorporating more perspectives; agility is gained by reducing friction and bureaucracy between individuals and departments. Cooperation also fosters interaction, which significantly limits the likelihood of unwanted feelings of isolation. Cultivating cooperation increases the capacity and awareness to positively and reciprocally impact the results of other members of the organization. Generating cooperation is about nurturing the well-being of colleagues.
Don't wait for the problem to manifest itself before taking action.
Unlike other threats, unwanted loneliness is a problem that, due to its individual nature, often goes unnoticed until it's too late. Taking certain assessment steps, maintaining contact with people, promoting informal dialogues, and seeking the collaboration of all staff will facilitate its detection.
Make yourself present. Dedicate time to one-on-one meetings.
One way to detect and prevent unwanted loneliness early on is to maintain a schedule of one-on-one meetings with as many people as possible within the organization. Even in very large organizations, there are always ways to ensure that each individual feels recognized and valued by management. Whether you're in senior management or a middle manager position, try to manage your schedule accordingly.
Recognize and make visible the contribution of each person
Whether it's in an individual or group meeting, be sure to provide suggestions. These are necessary. And don't hold back on acknowledgment, even if you have to deliver bad news. First, because the vast majority of people will feel that their work is valued, even if it can be improved. Second, because everyone will have the opportunity to interact with you in a friendly and safe way. Furthermore, if you make each person's contribution visible and known to everyone, you will help build the necessary trust and confidence.
Show your vulnerability
Some studies (Kleynhans et al., 2022) have empirically demonstrated that authenticity is one of the leadership characteristics that generates the most trust among employees, especially in times of uncertainty. This style is characterized by genuine connection, ethics, and transparency in communication, also implying that the leader is willing to be vulnerable when necessary. From this place of trust, people can also more easily share their difficulties (including feelings of unwanted loneliness).
Consider mistakes as an essential part of learning
The most successful organizations typically distinguish clearly between error and incompetence. The former stems from a commitment to experimentation and testing. The latter is the consequence of negligence. In organizations where trust is paramount, mistakes are accepted, shared, and analyzed in the search for new avenues for innovation and improvement. And, incidentally, as a way to avoid isolation.
It makes it easier for people to share their success and failure stories
One of the most effective ways to share learning is through success and failure stories. If your organization creates spaces and times for these narratives to flow and be shared, its members will feel more confident participating, contributing, and being recognized. Whatever the scope and reach of your jurisdiction, create spaces for connection and recognition.
Measure, listen, and make decisions about unwanted loneliness.
Team leaders have the responsibility to monitor the progress of each project. Observing and paying attention to signs of unwanted loneliness is a way to prevent bigger problems. Therefore, it is advisable to conduct formal or informal assessments, surveys to listen to the voices of people within organizations, set objectives, allocate resources, and evaluate the effectiveness of these measures.
Don't announce it, just do it. Be a role model for action.
Your determination to prevent and avoid the problem of unwanted loneliness must go beyond words, declarations, and good intentions. As a person in a leadership position, you must be aware of your influence and your capacity as a role model for others. Unwanted loneliness demands that we remember, without exception, that the difference between doing things and not doing them is, precisely, doing them.
Recommendations for the entire organization
Although the responsibility for creating spaces of trust lies primarily with leaders, the rest of the staff can and should do their part. If several of the aforementioned signs appear, it is advisable to report them to your superiors in a respectful, discreet, yet decisive manner. Failing to do so could exacerbate an existing problem.
All employees in an organization should regularly ask themselves the following questions:
- When was the last time you asked someone in your work environment how they feel about the task, the organization's plans, or life?
- Are you aware of anyone in your circle who has repeatedly expressed feelings of loneliness, helplessness, or social isolation?
- Do you know who you should report if you detect a situation of unwanted loneliness?
This content is part of the practical guide Unwanted Loneliness in the Workplace of the Break the Loneliness campaign (San Juan de Dios Solidarity).
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