Loneliness at work has become an epidemic, leading to workplace stress, people being absent & leaving their jobs. New research has highlighted multiple myths that lead to many leaders making the workplace loneliness situation worse. Myths: 1) Loneliness can be solved by coming back to the office 2) Teams will solve loneliness 3) Lonely people are needier socially than others at work 4) Loneliness is a personal problem, not an organisational problem. Practical actions that leaders can take to reduce work loneliness include measuring loneliness, designing slack in workflows, creating a culture of connection, building socialising into the rhythm of work & maximising each work mode (remote or f2f) for connection. hbr.org/2024/11/were-still-l…. Via @HarvardBiz

The role and skills of leaders needs to change, in line with profound changes in the workplace. In a new article in @HarvardBiz, a group of experts has identified 6 essential skills to thrive as a leader in the new environment: 1) emotional aperture - the ability to understand and tune into the emotional dynamics of others 2) adaptive communication - knowing how and when to adjust our behaviour & leadership style, connecting to the emotional energy of others 3) flexible thinking - able to flex with competing priorities & hold opposing ideas in our heads 4) perspective seeking, taking & coordinating - actively seek different perspectives & integrate new information into our approach 5) strategic disruption skills - questioning long-standing practices & pushing for continuous learning and improvement 6) resilient self-awareness - recognising our own boundaries/limitations & setting a healthy example for others. There are links to lots of useful resources for developing these skills: hbr.org/2024/10/6-essential-…. By @knightrm. I would add a 7th essential skill: network & connection skills – ability to operate with both formal & informal influence and build sustainable relationships.

How to say no. A superb article: "In a world that often values compliance over authenticity....we find ourselves entangled in a web of obligations, constantly saying yes to requests that may not align with our true desires or priorities. Yet, buried beneath the layers of societal expectations & internalised guilt lies the power to reclaim our autonomy". This article explains: - the reasons why we always say yes - why we should learn to say no - how to recognise when not to say yes - tips for learning how to say no - different (positive) ways of saying no - how to deal with unwelcome responses positivepsychology.com/how-t…. By @LauraCopleyLPC. I paired it with a graphic on the same topic by @donnellycss.