Crumbling Culture? Stop Measuring People and Start Connecting With Them.

Is your team just surviving…not thriving? It may be time to switch your focus from “people strategy” to genuine human connection. 

Right now, nearly 70% of employees worldwide admit that they are merely “surviving” at work. They’re bored, disconnected, and let’s be real…they’re miserable. 

And among that 70%? Leaders and managers are hit the hardest. It’s one thing to be a disengaged employee with a single-focus role. But being a disengaged leader leading a team of disengaged people? That’s where company culture, and entire organizations, begin to crumble. 

So why are people feeling so disengaged at work? In the last decade, specifically the last five years, our connection to our work has depleted. And although the work-life balance that may come with remote work can be beneficial in some instances - It’s deteriorating the most essential piece of successful teams: Human Connection. The root of it all is that we work harder for the people we care about, and we work harder at the work we connect to.

So how do we fix this? A lack of human connection can not be fixed by a simple one-time assessment. Processes and systems like DiSC and EOS can have their benefits to organizational management. However, the process of labeling our employees into different ‘categories’ based on these assessments and systems can actually make this lack of human connection worse, because the results cause leadership and organizations to see their employees as a singular, unchanging entity; When, in reality, people are a multitude of things, and are constantly evolving and changing every day.

So how do we connect instead of assess? Here are five tips to help you move from “assessment” to authentic connection:

1. Invest in Leadership Development That Prioritizes Emotional Intelligence

The culture of a company is only as strong as the leaders within it. And yet, many organizations promote based on tenure or performance, not leadership readiness. If leaders lack the emotional intelligence (EQ) to support and engage their teams, disconnection will continue to spread.

Action Step: Invest in leadership development programs that include emotional intelligence, empathy-based communication, and self-awareness training. Workshops, coaching, and ongoing support (not just one-time sessions) are key. Empower your managers to lead people, not just projects.

Explore how the Monarch Leadership Program can be your fix to transforming your company culture.

2. Make Space for Real Conversations, Not Just Performance Reviews

Too often, feedback is transactional and time-bound to quarterly reviews. Employees are rarely asked how they’re doing, only how they’re performing.

Action Step: Encourage frequent, informal check-ins where leaders ask meaningful questions like:

• “What’s been energizing you at work lately?”
• “Where are you feeling stuck or unsupported?”
• “How can I show up for you as your leader?”

This builds trust and reintroduces humanity into the workplace.

3. Build Community, Not Just Teams

Collaboration suffers when employees don’t feel seen or connected to one another. Relationships aren’t a distraction from the work - they are the work.

Action Step: Create intentional opportunities for connection. Whether it’s team retreats, shared projects across departments, or affinity groups like ERGs, connection needs to be built into the culture, not treated as an “extra.” Hybrid and remote teams especially need thoughtful connection strategies.

4. Reconnect People to the “Why” of Their Work

Disengagement often stems from feeling like the work doesn’t matter. People thrive when they understand how their role contributes to the bigger picture.

Action Step: Help your team see the bigger picture, and show them how their unique strengths play a key role in it. If you want them to feel valued, don’t just celebrate end results; recognize their progress and sense of purpose along the way.

5. Model What You Want to See

Leaders set the emotional tone. If leadership is burned out, unapproachable, or constantly in “go mode,” that culture will trickle down.

Action Step: Model vulnerability, rest, and curiosity. Show your team it’s safe to be real, to ask questions, and to grow. When leaders go first, others follow.

The Bottom Line? If your people feel seen, supported, and connected, they’ll thrive. 

It starts by investing not just in strategy, but in humans. Leadership development is the first step in building that bridge. Culture doesn’t change in one workshop, but it can begin with one conversation.

Learn how Monarch Coaching can be your Company Culture partner, and let’s build workplaces where people don’t just survive… they belong.