Are You Lonely at Work?

Measure your loneliness

Every morning at 4:30 AM, I settle in with my coffee and Harvard Business Review subscription - one of my favorite ways to start the day. The latest issue explores workplace loneliness, a topic particularly relevant to my roles as an administrator, faculty member, researcher, and student mentor.

The article "We're Still Lonely at Work" resonated deeply with recent observations from my various professional interactions.

Measuring Work Loneliness

During Tuesday's office hours, I had current and former students complete this workplace loneliness assessment:

Answer each statement with Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, or Always:

1. People in my organization understand who I am

2. I feel lonely while working

3. There are enough people at work who would "have my back" if I needed support

4. I feel included by others in this organization

5. I feel satisfied with my work relationships

Reflection Questions:

• What was your score?

• What areas of loneliness would you like to improve on?

• How can you reduce workplace loneliness?

Ways to Reduce Loneliness

Here are things I am keeping in mind as I try to tackle the issue of workforce or classroom loneliness:

• No one wants to be steamrolled into “forced fun” activities

• Create low-stake opportunities for people to connect or “collide” at work

• Not every meeting has to have an agenda

• Normalize asking people if they are happy

We all need to feel like we belong and be part of a community, but developing a community requires intentional and strategic investments. If you are interested in building community in your classroom, here is my paper on classroom management.

What are some practical ways to build a sense of belonging at work? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Have a happy Friday.

-Dr. A

P.S. My classroom dressed up for Halloween; it was a fun way to build community. For more behind-the-scenes videos of professor life, follow me on Instagram (@EconWithDrA)