Managing a team of skilled people is the dream for many professionals. In fact, one in five Brits believe that managing a team is a sign of success in the workplace, a survey from CV-Library revealed, however, this success comes at a price.
According to CV-Library research, 27.2% of senior leaders admit to feeling lonely in the workplace with 40% claiming that people’s attitudes towards them changed after they moved into a more senior position.
The study of 300 senior members of staff from across the UK discovered that loneliness also permeated into their personal lives. So much so that over half (56.8%) stated that their home life had suffered as a result of work. In addition, 54.7% said that it’s not worth it to be where they currently are in their professional career.
“Reaching the top is an attractive goal for many, but even the m
ost senior employees need support in the workplace. Particularly if you’re working long hours and shoulder huge levels of responsibility” said Lee Biggins, Founder and CEO of CV-Library.
“Naturally, as a senior member of staff, you’ll have to remain neutral towards your teams, but this can result in feelings of exclusion. Moreover, you’ll have a responsibility to provide support to your employees, but don’t forget about yourself! Seek help from other senior members of staff, especially in the transition period after being promoted.”
The research went on to reveal that senior leaders are most likely to feel lonely in the workplace because they have little in common with colleagues (42.7%), work in an office on their own (34.4%) and because their peers are much younger than them (24.4%).
When asked what they think are the best ways for employers to prevent loneliness in the workplace, senior leaders suggest the below:
- Put appropriate support in place (49.2%)
- Have more office socials (34.5%)
- Hire a diverse team (32.9%)
- Construct an open-plan office (28.2%)
- Improve the on-boarding process (27%)
Biggins added: “As a senior employee, you may feel unable to talk about any feelings of loneliness because of your status in the company. To combat this, it’s important to prioritise your own well-being and work closely with other leaders.
“Whether you organise company socials to blow off some steam away from the workplace, or have regular catch ups with fellow manager, it will help you to forge stronger working relationships. In turn, this should encourage a more open and supportive atmosphere.”
(Credit to Executive Grapevine Daily)