Authored by Lisa Bergeron

We have all experienced profound transformation in where we work, how we interact, and how we connect with our colleagues and clients. Technological advancements and communication tools like Zoom, Teams, chat, and artificial intelligence continue to revolutionize how we work and collaborate, offering new levels of flexibility and enabling people to work and meet from all corners of the world. While these changes boost productivity, they have also introduced complexities that impact human connections within work environments.

Leaders face significant challenges in creating and preserving strong workplace culture, which can easily become diluted in hybrid-first, technologically-centered work settings. Remote working models offer fewer opportunities for people to build relationships with colleagues and leaders, making it harder to find mentors, coaches, and sponsors—all essential for career growth. Also, a lack of regular face-to-face interaction impairs communication, collaboration, and productivity and contributes to feelings of isolation, detachment, increased anxiety, and burnout. According to Harvard Business Review, 65% of workers say that disconnection is one of the main drivers of decreased job satisfaction and voluntary turnover.

However, amid these challenges, there are positive opportunities for leaders who invest in enhancing connection because they understand the interconnectedness between work, human connection, and well-being.

When leaders are intentional about creating environments that strengthen human connection, people feel valued and respected, leading to improved morale, motivation, productivity, and retention.

As the workplace evolves, consider how to develop a “connection strategy.” Here are a few ideas and “connection rituals” to consider:

Encourage Regular Check-Ins

Create intentional and frequent opportunities for team building, collaboration, and celebrating achievements. In this environment, it is far too easy to focus on connecting teams for task-oriented discussions like project status updates ("Here's what I need and when I need it.").

While it is important to maintain a steady flow of information, it is equally important to create time for team members to share ideas and engage in informal social interactions.  At half full, llc, we invite our clients to think about making regular check-ins more meaningful by incorporating gratitude into conversations, listening to understand, leading with vulnerability when sharing, and creating time to call back to positive wins/moments throughout the week.  Approaches like these often help build stronger relationships, foster belonging and appreciation, and energize the team.

Focus on Connection Equity

In hybrid environments, it’s crucial to ensure connection equity, especially during meetings. Connection equity takes into account that not everyone experiences connection similarly. Be mindful that some people feel central, seen, and engaged, while others feel peripheral and disconnected. Distributed workforces add new factors and variables when it comes to who feels connection and how.

For example, remote workers often report feeling "hidden" and lacking exposure to leadership, coaching, and opportunities. Whereas in-person workers often have greater accessibility to colleagues, greater likelihood for organic “watercooler” moments and get more “face time.”  It’s essential that everyone feels valued and heard, and that leaders respond to the diverse needs of their teams.

Support Mental Health and Well-Being

Many employees report struggling with the blurred boundaries between life and work, which impacts their motivation, focus, and well-being. Recognize the importance of work-life balance by providing resources for stress management and flexibility to accommodate personal needs. Encourage taking breaks and disconnecting from work to prevent feeling overwhelm and burnout. Set expectations about working hours, sending and responding to emails after hours, and creating healthy boundaries and habits that support well-being and emotional agility to adapt to changing circumstances.

Prioritize Human Connection

In an ever-changing business landscape, strengthening team connections has never been more important. At half full, llc we see human connection as the “secret sauce” of workplace well-being.

We understand that every team is navigating unique challenges. We invite you to reach out and let us help you prioritize connection strategies and relationship-building. By doing so, we can enhance resilience, engagement, and productivity, together.  Empowering your team forward to meet the challenges of the future.

Click here to dive deeper into how we cultivate human connection in an increasingly diverse, ever-shifting workplace climate.