The Disconnection Crisis with Dr. Tracy Brower

Episode notes

Most HR leaders are chasing engagement scores. Very few are diagnosing loneliness. If performance feels flatter… if initiative is fading… if teams feel more transactional than connected, this episode explains why. In this conversation, Dr. Tracy Brower joins Naomi Titleman to unpack a truth many leaders feel but struggle to articulate: connection is not a “nice-to-have.” It is a structural driver of performance, initiative, retention, and fulfillment. They explore: The early warning signs of workplace disconnection Why proximity still matters in a hybrid world How AI may unintentionally weaken team reliance Social contagion and why energy spreads faster than strategy The difference between dirt roads and superhighways inside your culture What a real “connection infrastructure” looks like This isn’t about forcing friendships or dragging people back to the office. It’s about being deliberate about the human system inside your organization. Because when people don’t feel seen or needed, they disengage. And disengagement is expensive. About our guest Dr. Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist and VP of Workplace Insights at Steelcase.