The Power of Presence and Proximity in a Disconnected World

We know places are powerfully positive in bringing us together, but new research on proximity and presence is especially compelling. From bonding and belonging to performance, innovation, engagement and purpose, place helps us feel connected to our work and each other.

Connection is a critical issue today. In fact, employees are struggling with feeling disconnected from work with increasing numbers saying they lack satisfaction or they’re just showing up for a paycheck. Half of people globally say their job fails to give them a sense of meaning, according to a survey by PwC, and 38% said they’re just working to get by, based on data from the Pew Research Center. 

People are also feeling disconnected from colleagues, with 64% who say they’ve felt lonely at work, and 46% who wish they were closer to their colleagues, according to HR Grapevine. Incredibly, a KPMG survey shows that people would trade off 20% of their salary to have friends at work.

The deterioration and disconnection have negative effects on people, but it also degrades commitment, engagement, performance and outcomes. 

All of this proves the point: investing in places that help people connect and feel a sense of community is very wise.

There are a number of powerful ways that place, presence and proximity connect us and drive results for people and organizations. 

One of the most powerful impacts of proximity is helping us to make friends and feel connected. In fact, research on cities found that when there were more places to gather, people were more likely to report they had friends and less likely to say they lacked friends, according to research by Survey Center for American Life. Gathering places included elements like coffee shops, restaurants, parks and community centers. They provided venues to share time with friends and build relationships. 

In another study published in Social Science Research, when cities made greater investments in the public good, meaning infrastructure that connected people (think: sidewalks, parks or libraries), people reported greater wellbeing and happiness. The physical experience helped people come together.

These kinds of connections are relevant to business. Having friends at work is still one of the primary reasons people stay with an organization, and when we’re happier with greater wellbeing we can bring our best to our teams and our work efforts. 

In addition, when we have stronger networks, we are motivated to perform better because we have greater levels of “organizational citizenship”, in which we feel responsible to the people around us and get things done with a positive sense of obligation, according to research published in Behavioral Sciences. 

The workplace helps us connect and gather in so many ways. We come together in meetings, we share time over lunch in the office city center or the work café and we solve problems as we huddle around white boards in project rooms or work neighborhoods.

Those of us who focus on the work experience know beyond a doubt that it has a positive impact on performance. But there is also compelling evidence that demonstrates its effects.

Fascinating research published in PLOS One examined 2,350 patents and 40,358 published papers at MIT and found that where there was more collaboration, it resulted in more patents achieved and more published academic papers. It also resulted in papers being cited more frequently, a measure of credibility and quality of the papers. 

In the study, distance also mattered to the outcomes. In particular, when people worked within 400 feet of each other, their collaboration was greater than when they worked within 800 feet.

In a study by Harvard, when people sat within 25 feet of the best contributors, they tend to increase their own performance by 15%. And when you’re within 65 feet of others, there is a measurable spillover of knowledge, based on research from MIT. This is because you learn from each other, get access to information and obtain new perspectives from others.

The bottom line is that while we may be able to work effectively on some types of tasks when we’re alone or remote, there is also value in connecting to accomplish great work together. Consider neighborhoods where you can overhear colleagues, learn from them or coach them. Or consider business districts in which you’re working across teams or departments in spaces that support idea generation, development or problem solving.

There is also evidence that proximity makes a difference in how we come up with new, innovative ideas. Research published in Research Policy looked at cities and found that when a city has a population that is more diverse and also more connected, it tends to have more economic activity and innovation. 

And optimal density matters as well. When there is enough density that people run into each other and enough diversity that people have contact with others who have different skills, interests and expertise, entrepreneurship increases 35%. This is because people do business together which tends to drive openness, learning, creativity and innovation.

It’s no stretch to apply this to offices in which we want to cross paths with people who are working on projects that may intersect with our own and who have expertise that may bring a unique perspective to something we’re mulling over.

When offices have places for people to connect and come together for socializing, for idea exchange, for projects and for the day-to-day work, it’s a terrific contributor to innovation. In university districts we’re motivated to learn together and in business districts and neighborhoods we do meaningful work together. 

Being in proximity and connected with coworkers also creates the opportunity for collective effervescence in which we pick up energy from a group and we’re inspired to contribute. 

When we work side-by-side with others who are engaged, we tend to be more engaged as well. According to studies published in the Journal for Psychological Science when we’re in proximity and communication with others who are engaged and energized, our own engagement increases. And the more we communicate and the more energized our colleague is, the strong the effect. 

Importantly, when we’re more engaged, we also tend to perform better and be more satisfied with our work, according to study published by the Association for Psychological Science. It’s a reinforcing loop in which greater engagement drives satisfaction and performance, but satisfaction also drives performance and engagement, and performance positively affects satisfaction and engagement. They all reinforce each other. 

Places that offer us connection help us to leverage the energy we receive and the engagement we can experience together. 

Perhaps best of all, being present together tends to drive a sense of purpose. Purpose is usually something we experience collectively. We come together to accomplish something important in the bigger picture and we believe we can make a unique contribution to the whole. True purpose is also a belief that what we’re doing matters to human beings. Beyond annualized growth or profit margins, we are inspired when we feel like our work matters to real people who benefit from the value we create.

Connecting in the office matters. We run into a leader who reinforces what’s going on in the business and expresses appreciation for our work. We chat with our colleague, and we talk through the issues that are important to both of us and the business.

Companies with a clear purpose and that encourage camaraderie among colleagues deliver better stock market and financial performance, according to research from the Wharton School. At a personal level, when people have a greater sense of purpose they are more likely to be happier and more productive as well, based on studies at the University of Sussex.

Workplaces that connect us to each other and to the broader why for our work motivate great results. Consider city centers or coffee bars where we run into leaders, display that reminds of our mission and our results and neighborhoods where we are face-to-face with how our work impacts on our teammates and their deliverables in turn. 

It’s tempting to conclude that because of the power of presence and proximity, place is a panacea. While it has incredible impacts, of course the features of the workplace must be complimented by constructive cultures, inspiring leadership, the opportunity for ownership and participation, appropriate consistency and effective adaptability as well. 

But even with other factors in mind, when we focus on employee experiences that create connection and community, we are doing brilliant work that matters significantly, for people, for teams and for organizations.