Do Your Team Members Feel Lonely? Here's How You Can Fight Isolation at Work

Everyone who has ever watched a workplace sitcom like The Office or Scrubs knows how important workplace comradery is. There is something about turning your colleague into a friend or close acquaintance that makes one’s job more pleasurable. Research shows that those with a best friend at work are 37% more likely to be encouraged to grow and develop within their position, making them more motivated and productive.

After the WFH mode became our new norm, many professionals changed their 15-minute coffee break with a workplace friend to a ‘me’ time. Because of this, some of them started feeling disengaged and lonely.

Fighting this feeling is an integral part of setting up effective teamwork.

Why do we feel lonely even when we are surrounded by people?

There are several reasons for us to feel lonely, both when we are by ourselves and surrounded by other people:

• We have been judged and misunderstood
• We hide our true selves
• We feel insecure about ourselves
• We refuse to give people a chance

Recognizing and resolving an issue fairly early can help a leader escape rusted-out professionals who won’t communicate with each other. Missing the chance can result in a high team turnover and bad work performance.

How can leaders combat workplace loneliness?

Make sure your team members communicate with each other

Setting up team communication is challenging, especially for managers who work with big teams. As beat as it is, proper communication is key to collaboration and team processes as a whole. The more teammates communicate, the more productive they are and the less lonely they feel.

There are countless ways to set up communication within a team, but I believe that nothing can substitute personal connection and face-to-face talks. I not only encourage my team to sync up online, but also meet in person whenever possible. I visit our international offices and hubs every chance I get because I know how invaluable these connections are.

When it comes to the SupportYourApp team, my goal is to make sure no one ever feels lonely.

Make random acts of kindness a habit

What is a random act of kindness? Bringing in some tasties for a team to enjoy, helping a teammate with a challenging task, supporting a work buddy during a challenging time. These small deeds can help teammates form affection and a special bond that may even last a lifetime.

This approach to team communication will also have benefits for the doer as well. Performing random acts of kindness can be beneficial for one’s health. They reduce stress and generally make one feel good, which can free up some mental resources for communication with colleagues and will further reduce the feeling of loneliness.

Encourage rest

Feeling burnt-out is hardly a stimulus for abundant communication. Those who are tired are likely to keep their work communication to a bare minimum, which can influence the quality of their work and processes. It is also almost sure to contribute to the feeling of total isolation and loneliness.

Communication is not a priority for those who are tired or even exhausted. They just want to get through their days, do what’s expected of them, and log out to spend time with their families and friends. For them, colleagues and work connections may only remind them how tired they are.

A good manager should encourage their teams to take days off and maintain a work-life balance. When a team is rested and ready for new achievements, its members are usually more willing to communicate and build connections, which means they won’t feel lonely or rusted-out. It bounds to reflect on the overall quality of their performance.

Encourage talking

Talking is the key to everything. It is a foundation of human connection. Its absence can not only ruin every personal relationship in the workplace but be a reason for high burnout and churn rates.

Small talks, regular syncs, and general open communication can make a world of difference for employees and teammates who feel alone and isolated. Regular talks and set-up communication (something we have already covered earlier in this article) can become a beacon that will scare the dark of isolation away. And isn’t that what we are striving to do?