Field Notes

For a host of reasons, some team members can become disconnected or uncommitted to the team and the team leader. 

Their everyday interaction, lack of connection to more than one or two colleagues, and reluctance to seek opportunities to collaborate reflect their weak ties to the organization and its members.

Weak ties are a problem for retaining talented but disconnected team members. Over time, team members without a strong connection to the organization will slowly disconnect and fade away. They are much more likely to leave the team and find a home to contribute elsewhere. 

Remote work makes such weak ties ever more prevalent in today’s workplace. The question is not why a weak tie exists, but rather how leaders can strengthen the connection and reengage the commitment of any team member who seems less connected than their peers. 

The bottom line is that good leaders refuse to allow some team members to be significantly less engaged and committed than others. They work hard to strengthen the ties all team members have with the organization. And they know it starts with them. Leaders must make a more active investment in those team members with weak ties.

First, they must increase the frequency of check-ins with these team members and use the time to learn more about what makes this person tick. Understanding the passions, interests, and skills of those with a thin connection to the team is table stakes in the effort to reestablish commitment. 

The best leaders insist team members with weak ties contribute to assignments that require full engagement, in many cases with multiple colleagues. The more peers they must interact with to complete such assignments, the better. Engagement reflects the ongoing interaction team members have with others.

The more the interaction, the more likely thick and meaningful connections will erupt and draw the disconnected team member closer to the team. It is nearly impossible for a team member to maintain a weak connection to the team if the leader doesn’t allow it. It is up to leaders to discern which team members are becoming less engaged and to do something to curtail it. 

Not surprisingly, increasing the connection any team member has with the team depends on more frequent and substantive communication. Once again, quality communication moderates effectiveness.  It is the secret sauce of all strong relationships.