Social cohesion has been a hot topic in the news lately. Andy Haldane, CEO of the Royal Society of the Arts and a former economist at the Bank of England, recently stated in the FT that diversity strengthens any system, making it more robust. However, he cautions that, without social cohesion, diversity results in fragility instead of resilience.
Factors such as remote work and virtual meetings are rapidly eroding social bonds in the workplace. Organisations now need to ensure that line managers can rebuild the connections necessary for cohesive, resilient, and productive teams.
Understanding social fragility
Social cohesion refers to the strength of the bonds or connections we share with others in our community. Unfortunately, this cohesion is under threat, and its decline is accelerating. Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam first highlighted this issue in his influential book, “Bowling Alone”, where he documented the weakening of social networks and communal bonds in the United States.
A 2024 article in Vox revisited Putnam’s findings, emphasising the growing problems of loneliness and social isolation in the US. The impact of COVID-19 has exacerbated these issues, while the rise of remote working and the technologies that support it further contribute to social fragility.
The potential impact of this trend on businesses could be catastrophic. While organisations may be able to paper over the cracks in the short term, this increasing social fragility is likely to come at a high cost when it comes to retaining talent.
In an uncertain world, social fragility greatly diminishes an organization’s ability to withstand the unexpected.
Breaking bonds
While researching our recent whitepaper, “Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders. How shifting values, technology, and lifestyles are reshaping leadership development”, we uncovered concerning signs that today’s corporations are becoming increasingly fragile due to a decline in social cohesion.
Social bonds are weakened by the rise of hybrid and remote working arrangements. This is especially among Millennial and Gen Z employees. Our research found that 61% of respondents reported feeling more isolated since the shift to home working, and over 70% of remote workers expressed concerns about their ability to build relationships with colleagues.
Furthermore, the critical social bond between line managers and their team members appears to be deteriorating due to the lack of physical presence. As managers are less able to detect and address team tensions in virtual environments, this could contribute to an increase in mental health issues among workers.
For example, one respondent shared an experience of an “early career” colleague participating in a potentially contentious Teams meeting from home, where harsh comments were made. In physical, face-to-face interactions, line managers can sense tension and proactively manage conflicts. However, in a virtual setting, individuals may be left to dwell on conflicts for days, which can negatively impact their mental well-being.
Despite this, forcing employees to return to the office can often fail to rebuild social cohesion. Here, line managers play a crucial role.
The importance of line managers
Research highlights the critical role of line managers in rebuilding social capital – the essential connections within a group that foster social cohesion. For instance, Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report notes that a line manager’s behaviour, actions, and approach significantly influence the engagement levels of their team members, with line managers responsible for up to 70% of the variation in employee engagement.
This finding is supported by McKinsey’s research. It indicates that Gen Z employees, in particular, place a high value on their relationships with managers. This generation seeks transparency, support, and guidance; when these needs are unmet, they will likely look for employers who can provide a more supportive environment. Similarly, Millennials share this perspective. A study by Deloitte found that Millennials are significantly more likely to remain within a company whose leadership prioritises the development of employees’ interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
A valuable investment
At Threshold, we work closely with our clients to enhance the ability of line managers to build strong bonds with their team members, even when so much work is remote or hybrid, This involves developing skills such as empathy, emotional intelligence, effective communication, and the ability to influence others.
Developing these skills cannot be outsourced to AI or large-scale curated platforms. Building these capabilities requires human interaction, exploration, discussion, role-time, practice, and real-time feedback.
Investing in the development of line managers is essential. A relatively small investment in their ability to foster meaningful relationships with team members improves cohesion, resilience, and social capital. Organisations that prioritise training for line managers to strengthen social bonds tend to be more adaptable, resilient, and successful at retaining talent than those that don’t.
To find out more about Threshold and the ways in which we are helping our clients to take practical steps to rebuild social capital get in touch here
