This Hot Topic will offer you some food for thought in relation to your own leadership practice. We will uncover the skills that set great leaders apart and how you can revolutionise your approach to leadership by cultivating belongingness in the workplace.
Do your employees feel they belong in your team?
What if you could bring your whole self into the workplace, even the parts of you that you normally hide because they don’t seem to fit in? To do this, you would have to feel a sense of belonging to your organisation, be truly connected to others, and accepted as a member of a group.
Research shows that employees who feel they belong perform better, are more resilient and are more willing to challenge themselves. On the other hand, a lack of belonging is amongst the strongest predictors of turnover, and people that feel they don’t belong spend much more time worrying than working.
As a leader, how do you build and nurture a culture of belonging within your team? Leaders need to go further than including people at the table: they need to amplify everyone’s voice, clear barriers, and appreciate everyone’s unique backgrounds.
Learn six ways to foster belonging in the next section!
Six Ways to Foster Belonging
Actively including people and valuing their contribution goes beyond just inviting them to meetings. To build a sense of belonging requires active effort and ongoing practice.
As a leader, make belongingness a priority and ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute by following these six steps:
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What to do
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Self-check questions
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1 Track
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Collect and track information about engagement at your organisation to highlight areas of focus and measure progress. |
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— Do you use Employee Engagement and inclusion surveys?
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— Have you ever interviewed managers to identify the habits of exceptionally inclusive managers?
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2 Socialise
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Bring people together to create social bonds and foster a sense of belonging to the organisation.
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— Do you ensure remote teams are brought together?
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— Do you make time for connecting through social activities and do you lead by example?
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— Are your offices designed in a way that promotes opportunities for social interactions?
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3 Trust
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Develop trusting relationships with a mentor to take advantage of critical feedback and other opportunities to learn.
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— Do you have a formal or informal mentoring program?
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— Do you coach mentors and managers on engagement and how to get the best out of 1:1 meetings?
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4 Be intentional
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Belongingness does not occur by accident; be intentional about inclusion and mindful of how your own actions influence others’ perceptions and sense of belonging.
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— Are you clear about how decisions will be made?
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— Do you ask your employees to share ideas and request their input?
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5 Share
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Bring belonging out into the open by telling frank and positive stories that can dissolve interpersonal barriers and build empathy.
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— Do you lead sessions focused on your organisation’s values?
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— Do you retell stories at the executive levels and encourage others to share their experiences?
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— Do you train leaders on effective storytelling?
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6 Envision
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A shared vision, mission and purpose are more than a statement hanging on the wall. Shared values and goals can make all the difference. People feel they belong when they believe the work they do is significant.
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— Do you regularly review your purpose and values to ensure they reflect your organisation’s direction and mission?
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— Do you communicate this vision, and ensure all employees understand how they contribute?
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Action Point
Do you collect, understand and act on feedback to enhance your workplace and your employees’ sense of belonging? Use the six steps above to identify where you could improve and strengthen your current practice.