Don’t Underestimate the Value of Professional Friendships

Harvard Business Review•January 5, 2026•entertainment

Key Points:

The traditional notion that business decisions should be emotionally detached is increasingly seen as outdated in modern workplaces.
Employees now spend more time at work than with family or friends, intensifying the need for emotional connection at work.
The post-pandemic environment has heightened feelings of isolation among professionals, exacerbating workplace loneliness.
The former U.S. Surgeon General has highlighted an “epidemic of loneliness” with serious impacts on productivity, engagement, retention, and global health.
Loneliness is linked to nearly one million premature deaths worldwide annually, underscoring its critical importance in workplace and public health discussions.