This blog isn’t about flexible or hybrid working, or working from home for too many days in a row making you feel lonely. Loneliness at work is more about leadership and working culture than working location.
It’s entirely possible to sit in a busy office, surrounded by people, and still feel completely alone. Colleagues chat across you without saying your name, meetings leave you feeling sidelined, and even the lunchroom can be a place where you eat in silence. The result? You leave work more drained by the isolation than by the tasks themselves.
This is workplace loneliness – and it’s more common than many leaders realise. Research suggests up to a third of working adults sometimes or always feel lonely at work. It’s not just unpleasant. It has a direct and measurable impact on performance.
Loneliness shuts down the brain’s higher functions – it places us in a threat response. It reduces creativity, impairs decision-making, and limits problem-solving. It saps energy and discretionary effort. Over time, it drives stress, absenteeism, and burnout.
And if your people are lonely, they are unlikely to tell you – they might not realise what it is that they are feeling, and if they do they might keep it to themselves because there is shame in ‘admitting’ to being lonely.
It’s not just front-line staff who are affected. Leaders themselves often report feeling isolated – managing teams they hardly know or shouldering responsibility alone at the top.
So what can leaders do?
Notice the signs
Loneliness often shows up in subtle ways: a colleague withdrawing from conversations, switching off cameras, or showing less initiative than usual. These behaviours may be misread as disengagement or poor performance when they’re really signs of isolation. Be curious. Notice what’s different from someone’s usual pattern and check in with them. Sometimes just asking how someone is, and genuinely hanging around for a real answer that delves deeper than ‘fine’ or ‘busy’ can make a big difference to how someone is feeling.
Create intentional connection
If all your working relationships are purely transactional it will feel lonely. Connection doesn’t happen by accident, especially in hybrid environments. Build in time for informal conversations. Allow a few minutes of chit-chat before or after meetings. Encourage walking meetings or cross-team projects. Small, human touches – using someone’s name, asking their view, checking in with warmth – can make a huge difference to how connected we feel.
Design for inclusion
Job design, organisational culture, and inclusion practices all matter. Avoid one-size-fits-all approaches, for example, not everyone wants to go to the pub. Be wary of ‘forced fun’ socials that can alienate as much as they connect. Instead, consult widely and create a culture where different needs and perspectives are valued.
Lead with empathy and curiosity
Empathy isn’t about fixing people – it’s about listening, understanding, and showing genuine interest. Curiosity about others helps build trust and connection. Appreciation builds belonging. These qualities are often called ‘soft skills’ and in my opinion, are not given the priority or credibility required as skills – because in my experience they’re the foundations of a culture where creativity, productivity and innovation can thrive.
Loneliness can feel stifling. It can hold individuals and teams back from contributing ideas, stops collaboration in its tracks, and erodes the sense of shared purpose that drives teams forward.
The good news is that leaders can change this. By modelling connection, noticing signs of isolation, and creating space for warm, human interaction, you not only reduce loneliness – you unlock the creativity and problem-solving your organisation needs to succeed. Because when people feel seen, heard and valued, they do their best work.
If you would like some help training your people in these soft skills, or bringing your people together to think creatively, connect and make decisions that turn into actions – get in touch.
In the meantime – listen to the podcast that inspired this blog here.