Connection, Inclusion and Working Remotely
We don’t often talk about the consequences of working remotely from the perspective of the remote employee… but we should.
Working remotely is a growing trend that’s not likely to reverse itself anytime soon, and it’s worth preparing yourself and your team for one potential unintended consequence.
Our need to belong to a group, or team, or family, or tribe of any kind is as basic as our need for food and shelter. Our emotional well-being is tied directly to our ability to nurture and retain lasting relationships. Dr. David DeWall, Psychologist at University of Kentucky states that “This need is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history.”
While it may be the responsibility of the remote employee to “stay connected,” it’s also the responsibility of others to keep them informed. What happens when remote employees become disconnected from their teams? What happens when meetings, discussions, decisions, and changes occur without their participation or input?
It happens all the time and the consequences are often misunderstood or underreported. Though it may be unintentional in large part, remote employees can be made to feel excluded. “Why didn’t anyone include me in that decision?” “Why am I just finding out about this policy change now?” “Why didn’t anyone tell me there was a meeting to discuss this?”
Feelings of social exclusion activate the same parts of the brain that are activated when we experience physical pain, suggesting that physical and social pain are processed similarly by the brain. Being excluded not only hurts peoples’ feelings, some studies have shown that social exclusion led to increased emotional and physical pain sensitivity, because it threatens our fundamental need for belonging.
Social pain can also be accompanied by a loss of self-esteem. Loneliness, which has risen sharply in recent years, can exacerbate and prolong these feelings. Consider the social group that turn their backs on someone they feel doesn’t belong. In our society, this kind of bullying occurs far too frequently, and I shudder to think of the potential consequences we’ve endured as a result.
Be thoughtful and aware of your team members, particularly those who work remotely. Leverage technologies like video-conferencing, and avoid over-reliance on email and texts. Our phones are a much more social channel.
Be inclusive. While it’s good for business it’s also the right thing to do.