Constance  (Connie) Hadley is a Management and Organisations Lecturer, Questrom School of Business at Boston University. She is an Authority on Team Dynamics and  helps Leaders foster a culture of psychological safety and well-being in the workplace. She is also an expert on Leadership Strategies and Processes for Building Collaboration. Her work focusses on building resilient organisations in remote and hybrid work environments.

For more information on Connie see her Bio Below.

Topics:

Addressing Burnout Through Teamwork

Employee burnout is a critical issue to address in the post-pandemic period, says Boston University Questrom School of Business Professor Constance Hadley. This pernicious and often misunderstood condition is likely to fester without conscious intervention, regardless of whether the work is conducted in face-to-face, remote, or hybrid modes. Often, the solution to burnout is pushed downward to the employee level, with workers being told to advocate for better work-life balance or more time for self-care. However, these remedies are likely to be inadequate – and may even make burnout worse. In this talk, Dr. Hadley explains how teams can be a key intervention point to build resilience and reduce employee burnout. Specifically, she advocates for team structures and processes that facilitate mutual emotional and instrumental support. Such relationships can be built by fostering a culture of psychological safety and empathy, as well as by modifying team designs and performance management systems. Examples of successful interventions will be provided to clarify the path forward.

Psychological Safety: What It Is and How to Create It

A massive data analytics project at Google identified psychological safety as the single most important determinant of team success. Psychological safety is also critical to fostering more inclusive work environments. Yet, too often, employees avoid speaking up in the workplace because they fear reprisal or believe their efforts will be futile. This leaves leaders in the dark about existing or future problems, erodes trust and inhibits successful collaboration. In this presentation, Boston University Questrom School of Business Professor Constance Hadley explains how leaders can foster a culture of  psychological safety in the workplace so employees feel it is “safe” to ask questions, raise concerns, admit mistakes and offer new ideas — which ultimately leads to a more collegial, productive and innovative work environment.

Identifying and Addressing Loneliness in the Workplace

The pandemic has torn holes in the social fabric of organizations, separating employees both physically and psychologically. Many workers at all levels are feeling isolated and adrift. Left unchecked, workplace loneliness can trigger disengagement, burnout, and health problems, as well as undermine the long-term viability of organizations. The research of Boston University Questrom School of Business Professor Constance Hadley documents these issues – and shows they are getting worse. Hadley will explain the drivers of this phenomenon and what steps can be taken to increase social support and connection among colleagues. She will show how it is possible to foster cultures and design structures so greater human connection can emerge, regardless of whether work is conducted remotely or in person.

How to Ensure a Safe Return to the Office and Prepare for the Future of Work

Convincing employees to go back to a shared office space while the world recovers from a deadly pandemic presents challenges for everyone across an organization. Boston University Questrom School of Business Professor Constance Hadley sees problems – and solutions – around both the hybrid and permanently remote work models. In either case, she says organizations will need to be more deliberate about how they approach the design of work and collaboration. In this presentation, Professor Hadley discusses the upsides and downsides of working remotely and shares tools leaders and teams can use to successfully navigate both remote and hybrid workplaces. She also explains her vision of the future of work and offers advice on how people at all levels of an organization can prepare for the changes ahead.

Make Work Meaningful by Bolstering Your Communication Toolkit

Work is more than something we do to pay the bills. It is part of our identity, a reflection of who we are and how we live. But sometimes the lines get blurred when people bring personal biases or unhealthy behaviors into the workplace. Psychological safety has been found to play a key role in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and wellness in the workplace, and Boston University Questrom School of Business Professor Constance Hadley is highly skilled at helping people communicate across differences. With an emphasis on accountability, Hadley – a trained psychologist – offers co-workers a unique opportunity to break down barriers so they can successfully collaborate. For organizations looking to strengthen their culture, Hadley teaches leaders tools for bolstering their communication toolkit so they can resolve a wide range of emotional issues that may be getting in the way of individual or team performance or job satisfaction.

Media:

Employees Are Lonelier Than Ever. Here’s How Employers Can Help.

Keeping Positive and Building Strength: The Role of Affect and Team Leadership in Developing Resilience During an Organizational Crisis

Measuring the efficacy of leaders to assess information and make decisions in a crisis: The C-LEAD scale

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