Why we all want to belong - especially at work
Recently, we had the pleasure of holding a virtual session with Daniela Landherr about belonging and our longing for it. Daniela is passionate about empowering people. She inspires and coaches leaders to transform themselves, their teams, and organizations to build inclusive and empowering work cultures. She did this by driving innovation, where employees feel engaged, co-create effectively, and grow together. Leading themselves and the organization to a more purposeful, meaningful, and sustainable future. Over the course of the past 20 years, Daniela has been engaged in the fields of talent engagement, leadership development, cultural transformation, executive and leadership coaching, team effectiveness, and psychological safety.
In the session, we discussed how organizations can magnify the power of community to create a stronger sense of belonging. Also, how communities can amplify the sense of belonging, particularly at scale, and what it means to belong with a twist on psychological safety. Psychological safety is a combination of 4 things. Employees need a balance of being able to challenge people, feeling safe within the environment, having comfort and the feeling of danger.
What does Belonging consist of
The session taught us that belonging allows us to be ourselves and have a sense of community. Also, you need to have 3 things that will make us feel like we belong:
- Inclusion: thoughts and ideas and perspectives of all individuals mater
- Diversity: This is when multiple identities are represented
- Equity: The fair treatment of all people to ensure full participation and advancement
By understanding and incorporating these key elements we can create an environment where people are able to belong and be themselves. By using technology or other ways to connect with others we are able to make people feel more connected, valued, and accepted.
These feelings are recommended to be integrated into the workplace. Making sure your employees feel this way during the everyday work environment is very important. This allows your employees to thrive in their roles as well as stay loyal to your organization.
"We are wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we do not function as we were meant to. We break, we fall apart. Also we numb, we ache. We hurt others. And we get sick." - Brene Brown. When organizations focus on belonging, they improve their ability to attract and retain talent, increase employee engagement and productivity, drive innovation and improve customer experience.
Showing Authenticity
"Because we can feel belonging only if we have the courage to share our most authentic selves with people. Our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance". - From Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown. Unless we have accepted ourselves. Also are true to one's own personality, spirit, or character we cannot reach that level of authenticity. According to Daniela Landherr "When we do not (or can not) show up authentically, we sacrifice our true potential in order to fit in". The environment i.e the workplace could be the reason for employees to not show their authenticity.
Find out how you can improve mental health in your business by reading our blog!
In the session, we received great insights. See below:
You can magnify the power of community to create a stronger sense of belonging by:
- Leadership taking time to participate in the interviewing process. This allows for the candidate to feel a part of the team. Also allows the candidate to meet the team before they get the job offer.
- Allow space for employees to self-start initiatives, support with time and resources
Include the person you are interviewing and make them feel like they belong. You can do this by the following:
- Remember the interview is no longer about you selecting someone but a talent selecting you.
- the interviewee needs to feel safe to answer the questions
To summarize "unless we feel safe, we can't be authentic. Only when we are authentic, we can truly belong." Belonging is also made up of other elements. It is to feel safe, authentic, belong. It is to innovate, have fulfillment, and then it leads to well-being.
About our Thought Provoker: Daniela Landherr is passionate about empowering people. She inspires and coaches leaders to transform themselves, their teams, and organizations to build inclusive and empowering work cultures. She did this by driving innovation, where employees feel engaged, co-create effectively, and grow together. Leading themselves and the organization to a more purposeful, meaningful, and sustainable future. Over the course of the past 20 years, Daniela has been engaged in the fields of talent engagement, leadership development, cultural transformation, executive and leadership coaching, team effectiveness, and psychological safety.
