Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. Leadership consultant and executive coach, Steven Van Cohen, MSOD, connected with the What’s Next! Podcast to discuss his thoughts on workplace loneliness. Along with Ryan Jenkins, he is a co-author of the book Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams From Isolated to All In which gives insight on how to create meaningful connections within an organization. Dubbed “The Leadership Whisperer,” he’s spent more than a decade working alongside leading organizations like Salesforce, Home Depot, Komatsu, Bank of America, CAT, and Blackstone to improve worker well-being, reduce employee isolation and boost team belonging.  Steven is a co-founder of LessLonely.com, the premier resource for addressing workplace loneliness and CEO of SyncLX, a leading consultancy specializing in employee development.  As a proud Big Brother, (from Big Brothers and Big Sisters), as well as a volunteer with Boys & Girls Club and Young Americans, Steven has helped build confidence in the future leaders of America.  He holds a BA from the University of Illinois and a MSOD from Pepperdine University. He lives in Orange County CA with his wife and two daughters.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…  workers who are seeking validation and understanding in the loneliness of their workplace environment and managers who are striving to create a more connected workforce to inspire, engage, and properly appreciate their employees.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… While managing the emotional state of employees might not directly exist on a team leader’s job description, the fact is that disengaged and lonely employees are less productive and more susceptible to burnout. We must find the balance between caring about people and getting stuff done if we want to succeed as a healthy workplace.   WHAT I LOVE MOST… The business case for caring about employee loneliness is clear: workers who feel seen and heard perform better for your team. Building workplace connections is in your best interest because it inspires people to come to work as the best versions of themselves – everyone wins.     Running time: 30:37 Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Steven online: Official Website Twitter LinkedIn   Steven’s Book: Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams from Isolated to All In