An interesting study published this summer in Nature documented the loss of weak connections across a network of MIT researchers and students. The study showed that “lack of researcher co-location during the COVID-19 lockdown caused the loss of more than 4,800 weak ties—ties between distant parts of the social system that enable the flow of novel information—over 18 months… Furthermore, we find that the reintroduction of partial co-location through a hybrid work mode led to a partial regeneration of weak ties.”

(I highlighted a key word in that paragraph: partial.)

Why do weak ties matter? This is where many of our opportunities and new ideas come from, and their loss is significant.

But it’s not just weak ties that have suffered. Many of our relationships have suffered in the past three years. It’s harder to form and maintain deep relationships, harder to get to know new team members, and harder to maintain true alignment across your organization.

Pretty much everyone I know, myself included, is spending less time face-to-face with clients and colleagues. That’s a fact of life at present. As a result, we need to be more intentional about how we build strong connections.

To offer one example, I see many firms requiring employees to come into the office on certain days (say, Tuesday through Thursday), but they don’t do enough on those days to maximize the value of those personal interactions.

I see other companies holding offsites to strengthen relationships—which is wonderful—but they haven’t yet established a regular cadence for such gatherings. Ironically, in a world that includes remote work, more face-to-face offsites may be necessary.

My goal isn’t to give you one specific plan to follow. Instead, I’m suggesting that you give your attention to the subject of strengthening connections between your team members. Ask yourself:

●      What do I think about the level of connection my teams have? What am I basing that on? (Hint: ask some of your team members what they think)

●      What specific steps can I take to foster stronger connections?

●      What is my own level of connection with your direct reports?

We are social beings. We are meant to have a sense of connection. This is an exceedingly important challenge.

One last thing: for most of us, our personal relationships have also suffered. So much screen time takes our attention away from our family and friends; it’s easy to pay less attention to the people who are literally and figuratively closest to us. But with purpose and effort, we can change that.

In the year ahead, let’s reconnect!