A near-constant stream of business and scientific news reminds us that 50% of Americans are lonely. Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s powerful HBR article notes that half of CEOs suffer from loneliness. In addition to its personal toll, there is also an economic cost: workplace loneliness causes burnout, affects job satisfaction, and lowers both performance and retention. It also increases health care costs.
How Peer Coaching Can Make Work Less Lonely
One-on-one bonds are more important than almost anything else.
October 12, 2018
Summary.
Loneliness is a widespread, costly problem: workplace loneliness causes burnout, affects job satisfaction, and lowers both performance and retention. It also increases health care costs. We often see loneliness as an individual problem, but really it’s a systemic problem that takes more than personal efforts to overcome. One way to help reduce loneliness? Peer coaching. Peer coaching can help foster feelings of psychological safety at work, replace “social snacking” with meaningful dialogue, and create a culture that fosters meaningful personal connections.