Book review: Connectable: How leaders can move teams from isolated to all in

Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen. Connectable: How leaders can move teams from isolated to all in. New York: McGraw Hill, 2022, 336 pages. 

Recently, I was having a conversation with a leader about how her team members were feeling during their hybrid work transition. She let me know that every leader in her organization had recently been encouraged to read Connectable, which peaked my interest in learning more. The primary focus of this book is centered on the topic of loneliness, and while not specific to work in the time of COVID-19, the topic of this book is certainly applicable both before the pandemic and now. 

The first part of this book provides a foundation on the concept of loneliness, even addressing some of the causes for individual loneliness as well as how loneliness can appear in the workplace. Understanding the causes can certainly be helpful for addressing this issue, and as I was reading, I was able to apply many of the examples in my own work experiences. 

The second part of the book addresses the concept of belongingness as an antidote to loneliness. The science of belonging is shared including ideas for cultivating belongingness at work. The authors conclude this section with a framework for less loneliness.

The final section of this book outlines tips and questions for consideration as a guide for lessening loneliness and boosting belonging at work. The framework from this book has four parts with detailed examples, tips, and questions for leaders to ask themselves. 

After reading this book, I found myself thinking about how I can move forward with an awareness of loneliness and a mindfulness about this topic for those around me as well as within myself. This book certainly includes a number of helpful tips to try adopting both within teams and individually and even concludes with specific applications and resources for those who are interested.