Summary
We can’t talk about DesignOps without talking about workplace loneliness. This L word doesn’t just affect those who are working as a team of one. Thousands of designers and DesignOps pros in full teams around the nation are silently suffering from loneliness. This chronic workplace loneliness has a negative impact on individuals, teams, productivity, and company success. Lonely workers are twice as likely to quit their jobs and around 60 percent of Americans report feeling lonely on a regular basis. When people suffer, so does the bottom line. At the average national voluntary turnover rate of 25 percent, a company of 100 people with an average salary of $50,000 will spend between $625,000 and $2.5 million dollars on staff replacement costs in one year. Well-connected teams that have a high amount of belonging and inclusion experience greater productivity, improved decision-making, lower expenses and a more efficient and happy workforce. In this talk, Sr. UX Designer and Connection Coach Kat Vellos will share insights from her book We Should Get Together and highlights why its lessons matter for DesignOps more than ever before.
Key Insights
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Loneliness costs the U.S. economy $1 trillion annually due to employee turnover.
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Voluntary turnover often relates to feelings of loneliness and disconnection at work.
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Over half of Americans experience regular loneliness even before the pandemic.
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Design teams often cultivate unhealthy competition and toxic environments that exacerbate loneliness.
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Designers of color and those with intersectional identities face unique challenges related to workplace loneliness.
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Fostering psychological safety can significantly improve team dynamics and reduce feelings of isolation.
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Having work friendships can lead to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates.
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Diversity in the workplace plays a crucial role in combating feelings of loneliness among employees.
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Addressing workplace loneliness is essential not just for individual well-being but also for the health of the entire industry.
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Nurturing authentic relationships within teams leads to better collaboration, creativity, and overall job performance.
Notable Quotes
"A trillion dollars is enough to buy a million dollar home for a million people."
"Loneliness is a meaningful reason why people leave a job."
"We can't talk about operations without facing the reality of loneliness."
"Loneliness is a stress magnifier; it amplifies existing stress."
"One in five people deal with feelings of disconnection in the workplace."
"Replacements cost between 50% and 200% of an employee's annual salary."
"Lonely workers are two times more likely to be poached by other companies."
"Twenty percent of women feel like the only one on their team."
"We are the creators of our culture, and we decide how it functions."
"Reward courage and candor, not assimilation."
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