The Disturbing Side Effects of 5 Positive Workplace Trends

When you watch a pharmaceutical ad, after 30 seconds of describing the benefit of a drug, they read off a litany of side effects. Taking this drug may cause dizziness, fever, and diarrhea and in rare cases resulted in death. 

When I interviewed Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) last year, a clear theme arose: the unwanted side effects of recent changes in the workplace. Over the last decade, these CHROs have lead major changes in the workplace to make work more human, like enabling employees to work remotely and implementing tools like Slack. These changes, like prescription drugs, have clear benefits and address major problems, but CHROs are now starting to really feel the side effects of them - the unintended consequences on the quality of relationships.

WARNING: WORKPLACE INNOVATION MAY CAUSE RELATIONSHIPS TO SUFFER

CHROs specifically identified five trends in the workplace that are making it harder to have meaningful conversations and connections with colleagues. 

1. Remote Work

Remote work has become so mainstream that several start-ups don’t even have an office at all. Enabling employees to work remotely has helped employees balance their responsibilities at home with their job and brilliantly cut down on time wasted commuting (and the environmental impact). It has also made it possible for employees to live in lower-cost locations that are not close to expensive business hubs. 

The side effect of remote work is that it can limit the time spent in meaningful conversations with colleagues. It is also much harder to track the emotional state of our colleagues which is part of how we feel connected. Video tools like Zoom make it much easier to feel connected when you do talk, but it isn’t the same as seeing someone come out of a meeting depleted and asking them if they want to grab a coffee. 

2. Slack-ification of Work

Team communication platforms have dramatically increased the frequency of communication in the workplace. We can share information much more easily and collaborate on tasks. It is been largely effective in improving transactional communication.

The side effect of tools like Slack is that they can reduce meaningful interactions with colleagues and the constant ping of new messages makes it hard to be present when we are actually engaged in a conversation (at work or home). There is a clear parallel here to Facebook that promised to strengthen relationships but has been found to have the opposite impact for many people. 

3. Diversifying the Workforce

The workforce is growing more diverse in every way. It is building a more inclusive society and economy as well as bringing new perspectives to work that drive innovation. Diversity is helping us question our assumptions and realize there is a much bigger world out there than what we see in each of our little bubbles. 

The side effect is that it is harder to build relationships when we work in heterogeneous workplaces where people are different from one another.  When we work with people who are similar to us, the norms of communication and interaction are pretty clear and it is easier to feel psychologically safe. When we have a diverse workforce, the old models of communication and collaboration are no longer adequate. 

4. Open Workplace

Many modern employers have adopted open space to create “constructive collision,” increasing collaboration and productivity. This has been a trend now since the first dot-com era in the late 1990s that even led to Michael Bloomberg making the New York City Mayor’s office open during his tenure. This has become the norm in new construction.

The side effect of open workplaces is that they don’t create privacy for meaningful conversation. They have also been shown to lead to smaller and less substantive interactions between colleagues. Collisions don’t bond - they ignite. 

5. Shrinking Tenure

Now more than ever, people are mobile and in control of their careers and are switching jobs more and more often and even venturing out on their own. This can lead to building larger networks and increased innovation by sharing new ideas across more organizations. It has also empowered people to truly own their careers (e.g. The Start-Up of You) and in some cases grow their wages and accelerate their advancement. 

The side effect of shrinking tenure is that people don’t stay in organizations long enough to build lasting relationships. This then actually accelerates turnover as people without meaningful relationships are more likely to leave.  

Addressing the Side Effects

The point here isn’t that these changes are bad or that they are passing. We need our medication but we also have to adapt to limit the negative side effects. We need to intentionally invest in relationships.

To learn more about the science of human connection and social learning, download our latest white paper: The Definitive Guide to Peer Coaching.