Part of Brene Brown’s definition of “true belonging” is the “spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply, that you can share your most authentic self with the world.” The world-renowned researcher and storyteller believes belonging should manifest independent of the worlds we exist in — whether at work, with family, or amongst our friends.
Creating an environment that feels safe enough for a person to bring their whole selves to work, for instance, takes work on the parts of individuals and companies alike. According to Deloitte Insights annual Global Human Capital Trends report, 93% of companies surveyed agreed that cultivating a deep sense of belonging drives organizational performance. Yet, only 13% of employers say “they are very ready to address this trend.”
The gap between knowing what is right for employees and taking action toward it, can be a hard one to bridge.
Build Trust
Surabhi Lal, founder of SL Collaborative Ventures and Adjunct Professor at NYU, explained that it takes more than good thoughts for this kind of workspace to manifest.
“Psychological safety, where team members feel safe to be vulnerable and take risks with one another, is dependent on trust being present in a workplace. Doing the work of building this culture requires leaders in the organization to make these values explicit, own when they’ve made a mistake, and show their own vulnerability. Understanding that work cultures are layered with power, and building a culture of shared power is also important.”
Bravery and Belonging
The correlation between mental health and productivity, particularly during COVID times, becomes even stronger when you consider a company’s sense of belonging score. Bravery is also a key factor in understanding belonging in the workspace, particularly for leaders in an organization. A strong, successful leader is brave enough to ask the hard questions and receive honest feedback, demonstrating to team members that taking risks is good, and that they won’t be punished for speaking up.
“Each employees’ wellness is an individual experience,” explains Lal. “I see many organizations that are having conversations about wellness but they are not including a diversity of experiences in those conversations. Microaggressions are a matter of mental health. I see both inclusion and wellness as linked.”
Invest in Well-being
Acknowledging how to tackle microaggressions in your wellness program is a prime place to start. Choose resources that offer choice and feature diverse voices. Learn about the root causes of workplace trauma and start a dialogue about the best ways to address it. This way, you emphasise the ‘human’ in human resources, rather than seeing your team as a set of statistics.
Deloitte’s Insights study also found that 79% of organizations believe that “fostering a sense of belonging in the workforce is important, or very important, for their success over the next 12 to 18 months.”
Diversity, inclusion, and mental health are key themes for leaders to tackle in order to increase their company’s sense of belonging, with the positive ROI to show for it in just 12-18 months.
