Q. "Anyone else feeling lonely?"
Answer:
Yep. You actually wouldn't believe how common a feeling it is in the workplace today, let alone ministry or HR. While the pandemic seemed to feed the loneliness felt across the board, that loneliness hasn't lifted like the other side effects of lockdown.
Although younger generations seem to be at higher risk, both remote and in-person employees report similar levels of loneliness. Loneliness doesn't really seem to be connected to the number of people you are around, but more so to the level of connection to those people.
Loneliness is definitely a problem: lonely people tend to have higher stress levels and more health complications than their well-connected counterparts. Loneliness can also indicate an unhealthy organizational culture that lacks true connection between employees.
If you're feeling lonely, the first thing you should do is find connection and help. If you are noticing a culture of loneliness among your staff, take steps to correct your culture and build relationships among coworkers.
Two great options are to sign up for our HRMP cohort where you'll learn how to better connect with your employees while connecting with other ministry HR professionals every month. Or subscribe to HR On Call where you'll connect with an HR advisor assigned specifically to you who can help walk with you through your HR and build the culture your organization needs.