72. Make people feel needed (give them a role)
Data point of the week
A Harvard Business Review article, Burnout at Work Isn’t Just About Exhaustion. It’s Also About Loneliness, puts the number of American workers who are burned out at 50%.
As the article title suggests, feeling lonely and disconnected at work is a major contributor to burnout.
The authors propose three solutions:
Promote a workplace culture of inclusion and empathy
Encourage employees to build developmental networks, which they define as small groups where they can give and receive support, and
Celebrate collective successes.
Reflection
These are all great suggestions that I think most businesses would stand behind. The problem is that things often fall apart in the “yes, but how?” stage. It’s hard for individual employees—and leaders—to know where to start. And to muster up the energy to create a new initiative or try to change the culture.
The ProjectConnect program provides a ready-made roadmap for promoting empathy, inclusion, and celebration … all in small supportive groups!
Here's one business’s experience with ProjectConnect:
“ProjectConnect provides a simple and effective plan for decreasing isolation and increasing positive interactions leading to better office culture, employee satisfaction, and less turnover. Our organization has seen huge benefits from implementing this program. I can't speak highly enough about our experience.”
—Tobey Roos
Most people want connection, but it's hard (and tiring) figuring out how to forge it on our own. That’s why—when you provide opportunities to connect in ways that feel fun, easy, and meaningful—people will jump at them!
You can also increase belonging and inclusion by giving people a specific role or way to contribute.
Connection Skill & Action Step: Make people feel needed by giving them a role
When people contribute to something, they feel more invested in it and part of it. Are there particular roles or responsibilities you can give people to increase belonging? For example:
At work, invite employees—particularly new employees—to sit on a committee, task force, or otherwise help solve a problem or fill a need. While committees can get a bad rap, if they function well, they can introduce members to employees from different areas, and create a sense of actively contribution.
At a personal or work event, give the first people to arrive a small job to do. This increases their investment in the success of the event, and decreases the awkward standing around phase before things get started.
Questions. Please share your responses in the comments. Just click "post comment," enter your name and click "post as guest."
Have you worked somewhere that had a strong culture of inclusion and empathy? That had small, supportive groups? That celebrated collective wins? If so, how were these norms established and what difference did it make?
