Why is belonging important to organizational success?
Belonging plays a pivotal role in shaping innovative, inclusive, and high-performing workplaces. A culture of belonging is one where every individual feels seen, heard, and valued for who they are and the diverse experiences, talents, and ideas they bring to the workplace. A culture of belonging not only attracts diverse talent, but it also inspires creativity, enhances employee engagement, and drives performance.
The experts in this EXLEARN Talks episode share insights on fostering belonging and inclusion, emphasizing the importance of psychological safety, authenticity, intentionality, leadership development, and more.
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- 6:31: How do you define belonging? How do you define it in an organization?
- 9:13: Can you share a story of when an organization fostered belonging and inclusion well—or maybe not so well?
- 13:13: Recognizing how different the human experience is for each person, is it possible to create an environment where everyone feels they belong? If so, how do we achieve that?
- 20:07: Fostering belonging and inclusion is an ongoing journey. How can organizations start with simple, actionable steps while acknowledging the complexity of this work?
- 28:01: Why should organizational leaders lean into this work? What’s are the organizational benefits?
Highlights from the Panelists:
“How do you lift [teammates] up in a way that’s going to showcase their skillset to upper leadership and say We value the work you have accomplished? I think that open communication, knowing when to step in, and knowing how that individual person wants to connect to the work and where they want to grow [can help create belonging].”
– Ankit Shah, VP of Programming at Human Resource Association of Central Ohio
“[There are things you can intentionally] do as a leader to allow [your team] to bring their whole selves… Listen to them. Get to know your teammates through activities like value cards, where you give them 25 different values, have them [rank their top] 15, then 10, and then five. [That’s] an activity I always did with my new direct reports so I could get to know them and understand their values.”
– Carolyn Stich, Senior Learning Consultant at TiER1 Performance
“Invite people into the conversation, because chances are they have a lot to share and what they share could be really impactful and meaningful to the organization. And connect with other organizations that are doing this work and doing it well to gather best practices and understand how those best practices might look within your organization.”
– Channing L. Moreland, Cultural Humility and Employee Well-being/Mental Health Expert & Speaker
A Visual Capture of the Discussion:
Designed by Ramsey Ford