If Colleagues Suddenly Stop Reaching Out, Here Is What Research Says Is Happening

Most employees have had a point in their career when communication among themselves slowed compared to what it used to be prior to that time period. They may feel isolated since they are used to working on different projects together and sharing important information among each other.

These changes in the communication flow in an organization are rarely done without reason. Research shows that changes in organizational interactions tend to signify certain organizational changes. People may think that there is something wrong with their own behavior, but often the problem lies somewhere else.

Decline in collaboration before change

An article published in the Nature Human Behaviour journal in 2021 reveals that networks of collaboration at the workplace can be quite dynamic and are likely to change significantly, particularly during times when there is a change in the organizational structure or a change in working style.


As per the study, it is common for employees to find themselves collaborating less across different teams prior to undergoing significant changes. It is because the changing communication styles will lead teams to be siloed in nature, wherein employees prefer communicating in smaller teams rather than with people from other teams.

Why do some roles become isolated?

According to the same study, some jobs are more susceptible to being isolated due to the dependency on serving as intermediaries between different groups. Since this kind of job demands frequent and constant communication, its effects become more apparent when these connections start weakening.

In accordance with the findings reported by Nature Human Behaviour, working remotely and changing communication methods have led to fewer spontaneous conversations, which were essential for cross-team collaboration.

With the reduction of spontaneous connections, individuals responsible for maintaining them may be isolated due to a lack of connections. This change may create a feeling among workers of being deliberately alienated, regardless of the real reason behind this problem.

The role of remote work in shaping networks

Both remote and hybrid working systems have contributed substantially to changing the dynamics among colleagues. According to the research published in Nature Human Behaviour in 2021, remote working decreases the number and intensity of cross-group communications, resulting in more self-contained but separated groups.

While in-office conversations offer more room for collaboration and networking, remote working depends more on scheduled and task-oriented interactions. Therefore, it can be challenging for workers whose tasks are not necessarily crucial to team discussions to participate in them actively.

It means that the lack of interactions for some employees does not depend on the importance of their job but rather on the system of communication adopted.

The psychological impact of isolation

In addition to impacting productivity negatively, workplace isolation has an influence on the mental well-being of the employee as well as job satisfaction levels. As indicated by the American Psychological Association, isolated employees tend to suffer from more stress, anxiety, and low motivation levels.

This can cause workers to start doubting their worth as employees within the company and therefore, decrease their emotional involvement with their tasks, causing them to disengage and potentially burn out due to continued isolation.

Understanding the network behind the silence

The social network theory offers a way to understand this phenomenon. As it has been found out by researchers who published their findings in Administrative Science Quarterly, employees who function as connectors between various departments are vital in sustaining cooperation within an organization.

If such employees find themselves disconnected from the network of interactions due to changes in communication channels, they become disconnected nodes unable to interact with others and provide valuable information to them.

How employees respond to being left out

Employees will be very sensitive to any change in the frequency of their involvement in the process of communication and collaboration. The results of research conducted by the Journal of Management indicate that a reduction in the level of interaction among workers could have an effect on how they see their value to the organization and their future prospects.

These changes in attitude could result in emotions like disappointment or self-doubt. Sometimes, they might even compel individuals to leave their current position in search of better options elsewhere.

Why recognizing the pattern matters

Change in organizations is inevitable, but the transformation in communication during such times can have an ongoing effect on workers. According to an article published by ScienceDirect, change management is only successful when there is no disruption of communication channels, and silos are avoided.

By identifying early signs like reduced teamwork, organizations will be able to solve potential problems before they become detrimental to productivity. It will also make employees realize that the changes taking place may be organizational rather than personal.

Often, those quiet times in the workplace could mean that organizational changes are happening without people even knowing about it.