Andrea Dermody explains how organisations can develop a culture of belonging where employees can thrive
Do you remember a time when you weren’t picked for a team? Or a time when you felt like the ‘other’, the ‘only’, in a group? Do you remember how that felt? These feelings relate to your sense of belonging, your fundamental human need for connection and affinity with others. Over the last few years, we have seen the narrative around diversity and inclusion expand to include equity and belonging, ‘DEIB’ for short. But what does the ‘belonging’ element mean?
The dictionary defines belonging as “a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome you and accept you”. According to research by Coqual, a non-profit think tank, a sense of belonging at work is rooted in four elements:
- Being seen for your unique contributions;
- Feeling connected to your co-workers;
- Being supported in your daily work and career development; and
- Being proud of your organisation’s values and purpose.
The research found that employees with high belonging scores also have high engagement scores, higher retention scores, greater loyalty to their organisation and are more likely to recommend their company as a good place to work. When individuals feel a genuine connection to their organisation and their colleagues, they are more likely to contribute their unique skills, ideas and perspectives. This is critically important as 72 percent of European employees report feeling disengaged from their workplace. Might a culture of belonging address this challenge?
Creating a culture of belonging
How do we build belonging? Belonging is in the little things and, according to Geoffrey L. Cohen in Belonging – The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides, “slight adjustments in the way we interact with people in our daily lives can do much to nurture belonging”. Here are some of the strategies that work:
- Lead from the top by acknowledging that the objective of the organisation is to create a culture where DEIB is part of how you do business every day and tying its achievement to reward and the promotion of leaders.
- Spotlight diverse role models to overcome the challenge described by Amy Edmondson in The Fearless Organisation as “when no one at the top of the organisation looks like you, it can make it harder for you to feel you belong”.
- Be respectfully curious. Don’t assume that what gives you a sense of belonging is the same for everyone. Ask questions and actively listen to learn who people are and what makes them feel they belong.
- Develop your leaders to understand the difference between diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging and their role as culture shapers and carriers.
- Build psychological safety by promoting a culture where everyone feels comfortable speaking up, taking risks and celebrating the learning acquired from mistakes.
Belonging does not exist in isolation from the other components of DEIB. Organisations need to take a balanced score card approach to build capability, accountability and action across all four areas, regardless of how they label this work. When employees feel they belong, they are more likely to thrive and contribute their best work. Organisations that get this right will reap the benefits of a diverse, engaged and high-performing workforce.
Andrea Dermody is the founder of D&I advisory consultancy Dermody