Connie Noonan Hadley: How to overcome loneliness at work

What if loneliness at work isn’t a personal weakness but a strategic signal?

That’s the case my guest, Dr Connie Noonan Hadley, makes in this conversation. She’s an Organisational Psychologist, the founder of the Institute for Life at Work, and one of the world’s leading experts on workplace loneliness and social connection.

We explore why loneliness is on the rise even in busy offices and hybrid teams, and why it’s not about being alone, but about the emotional distress that comes from missing the positive connections we need. Connie explains why return to office mandates rarely solve the problem, and how loneliness can quietly drain motivation, creativity and trust, the lifeblood of performance.

Connie gives practical guidance for leaders to understand, normalise and address loneliness through small but powerful shifts in conversation, time and reward systems.

If you’re leading a team or organisation this episode will help you see loneliness as a core signal of how well your culture enables people to thrive, perform and feel human.

“Connection is a performance driver, not a luxury.” - Connie Noonan Hadley

You’ll hear about

· What loneliness at work really means

· Common myths about hybrid work and connection

· Signs leaders should look for in their teams

· The UNITE framework for reducing loneliness

· Why connection drives productivity and creativity

· How AI is reshaping human connection at work

· Practical steps for leaders and individuals

About Connie:

Dr Connie Noonan Hadley is a leading organisational psychologist. She is the founder of the Institute for Life at Work and a research associate professor at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. Her focal areas include the impact of Al on interpersonal dynamics at work, loneliness, psychological safety, trust, burnout, mental health, team effectiveness, and the management of human capital. She has been published widely and was named to the Thinkers50Radar List for her rising global influence as a management scholar.

Resources:

• Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connie-noonan-hadley-7303066/
• Institute for Life at Work: https://www.institutelifework.org/
• ‘We’re still lonely at work’ HBR article (including loneliness tool): https://tinyurl.com/yc29dr7e
• Work Loneliness Scale (free tool to measure your loneliness): https://ck5tzycazgv.typeform.com/to/F39lnzno#source_id=LotL

My resources:

Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)

Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj)

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Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

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