The past two years were among the most turbulent in recent memory. Traditionally, companies have not been expected to address the fear, anxiety and sadness that many of their employees experience in the face of external upheaval. Many are more inclined to ignore the negative impact that a non-response exerts on employee productivity and engagement. They had ample space outside of the workplace to process external events. For many of us, our work colleagues have the same access to our daily opinions, passions and life experiences as our friends and family do. In response to these trends, many businesses are intentionally softening the work-personal divide, as they drop the false assumption that creating space to talk about feelings and how employees experience the social turbulence around them is a productivity-killer. These businesses realize that employees are emotional beings, and difficult events outside of work tend to cloud thinking, drain energy and hurt productivity at work. It started with the Orlando shootings. Don’t feel like there needs to be a next step. Cultivating a workplace culture where employees feel safe to talk about real-world issues in a respectful way will be a key driver in supporting employee productivity and well-being in 2017.
The past two years were among the most turbulent in recent memory. We faced surprising shocks in the public markets, major terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, hate crimes in Orlando and Charleston, a spike in reported shootings of unarmed black men and police officers, Brexit and a bitter U.S. presidential election.
Is turbulence the new norm? It seems likely. What is certain, however, is that we have reached a turning point in how many workplaces respond to such events.
Traditionally, companies have not been expected to address the fear, anxiety and sadness that many of their employees experience in the face of external upheaval. Some companies believe those conversations simply have no place at work; others are concerned that someone might say the wrong thing, leading to workplace tension or even lawsuits. Many are more inclined to ignore the negative impact that a non-response exerts on employee productivity and engagement. There has been an unspoken divide between work life and personal life — and it’s rarely crossed.
This divide is driven partly by employees themselves. Fifty years ago, most Americans belonged to social and fraternal organizations — churches, synagogues and temples; unions or industry groups; neighborhood associations. They had ample space outside of the workplace to process external events. But as the sociologist Robert Putnam argued in his pioneering study, Bowling Alone, over the past generation, rates of group membership have plunged.
Today, Americans spend more time at work and less time in formal or organized activities outside of the office. Many employees and businesses are blurring, or even erasing completely, the separation that once existed between the professional and personal spheres. We believe they are better for it.
What’s driving this transformation?
First, social media has integrated our personal and professional lives. For many of us, our work colleagues have the same access to our daily opinions, passions and life experiences as our friends and family do. According to one recent study, 51 percent of people said social media is “useful in getting to know their coworkers on a personal basis.” Even the distinction between Facebook as a network of friends and LinkedIn as a network for colleagues has disappeared. With these changes, there is no longer the expectation that our online life is cleanly separated from our work life.
Second, many employees now identify the workplace as a main source of community. With fewer people participating in organized religion, a decline in volunteerism and a…
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