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Work Better Together
Book

Work Better Together

How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines

McGraw-Hill, 2021 more...


Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Applicable
  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

Human connection is essential to workplace success. Genuine, trust-based work relationships increase job satisfaction and enable employees to perform at their highest level. Deloitte chief well-being officer Jen Fisher and researcher Anh Phillips lay out a strong business case for fostering workplace relationships, prioritizing self-care, becoming intentional about technology usage and consciously building well-being into your work processes.

Summary

Authentic connection and meaningful workplace relationships nourish psychological well-being.

Loneliness is endemic in the United States, and over 40% of Americans feel lonely, even when surrounded by co-workers. Only 20% forge meaningful workplace friendships; the rest suffer disconnection, disengagement and dissatisfaction. Loneliness increases susceptibility to cognitive decline and physical ailments. The increase in remote and gig work exacerbates this problem by reducing in-person interactions; burnout is on the rise. Workplace relationships prove essential for feeling valued and cared for.

Relentless striving to increase productivity and incorporate new technologies creates less humane work environments.

The overuse of technology undermines its central purpose: to make work easier and more productive. Being digitally connected 24/7 and deluged with information and communication, paradoxically, increases alienation. “Workism,” the lifestyle of being always on and always working, isn’t sustainable long-term. Chronic overwork eventually decreases output and causes stress-related problems such as burnout, depression...

About the Authors

Jen Fisher is the chief well-being officer at Deloitte US and host of the podcast, WorkWell. Anh Phillips is co-author of The Technology Fallacy and a senior leader at Deloitte Consulting.


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