Belonging in the Workplace: A Retrospect of Experience

Guest Blog by?Renae Moore?of?Screen Innovate Studios and Lab

What does it mean to belong? I often ask myself this question, as I’m sure many other people do. The quality of our lives is intrinsically linked to our sense of belonging. That’s what research tells us. At different stages in our lives, we require many tribes to engage with as our persona changes and evolves. One such tribe is made up of the people we spend 70% of our lives with – the people we collaborate with in the workplace. However, this tribe is often one that is forced together to achieve a common goal or outcome with differing perspectives, personalities, and viewpoints. Individuals fused together in a finite space are commonly expected to immediately become a well-oiled machine with exquisite interpersonal communication skills. They are expected to be a tribe that instantly connects and speaks the same language.

Language

Language itself is an interesting concept, and spoken words are only a small part of it.? Before humans could speak, sound, body movement, and drawn symbols on cave walls were all communication devices. In a sense, these forms of communication are embedded at a human cellular level simply because we’ve been using them for hundreds of centuries. However, we are often conditioned to perceive that the loudest person, investing the most spoken words in an environment, is a leader. This may also depend on which generation you come from. However, when I first entered the workplace, I was heavily conditioned by my first boss over a six-month period to not offer an opinion until I’d gained sufficient credibility to speak and be heard within the group. It was an interesting introduction to workforce culture, accepted language, and belonging.

The search for belonging

Displacement is a common theme across the world, especially in the time we now find ourselves. However, the drive to find one’s tribe can push us to voluntarily displace ourselves and search the world for belonging. Often, this provides the means to find a work culture that fits our unique needs, aspirations, and personality types. But let’s not forget the other key driver that compels us to uproot ourselves from a familiar environment and plunge into the unknown: financial gain. Financial gain in return for skills offered is central to how we are perceived as employed team members. Somewhere along the line, financial gain has superseded workplace fulfilment.? Or has it? The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reported in June 2023 that in the UK, loving one’s job ‘always or often’ has fallen from 54% in 2019 to 49% in 2023. A third of people sometimes feel bored at work (33%), 26% sometimes feel miserable, and 21% sometimes feel lonely.

Inclusion for everyone?

Diversity and Inclusion have been central to the ethos behind the workplace environment over the last decade. The Equality Act was passed in the UK in 2010, which begs the question, are we truly implementing Inclusion in the workplace effectively, or are we just ticking boxes and not personalising Inclusion in such a way that it has a positive outcome for the people within each unique organisation? These are fundamental questions I ask myself on a weekly basis as a person establishing a pre-seed funding venture. After multiple decades in the workforce, I’ve become acutely aware of the importance of belonging, the role communication plays, and the importance of valuing the people that make up your team in driving success. Coming from the creative industries and seeing the personalisation of the media landscape over the last two decades, I often wonder how we might personalise the employee experience even further.

I’m a person who has just recently been labelled as on the spectrum (neurodiverse), and an under-represented founder (female). I’ve experienced many pitfalls and triumphs in my working career. Many of those experiences have arisen due to my own personal complexities and direct communication style. However, this has also been due to entering employment environments that have not been conducive to my own sense of belonging; choices I made along the career pathway.

I’m sure finding a sense of belonging is different for everyone. For me, it’s about finding an environment where there is space to speak and be me, free of judgement, accepted because of my complexities and differences. I’m also conscious that to achieve this sense of belonging, it requires reflecting that in your own workplace approach, and finding a way to connect. Something I find myself working on personally every day.

So how do we as founders take the lessons we have learned and balance this alongside the need to generate revenue and grow successful companies?

As you might have guessed by now, I have more questions than answers. However, they tell me awareness and listening are the most important first steps to successful leadership. And let’s be honest, great teams produce successful leaders. There are many successful Equity, Diversity and Inclusion stories and frameworks, and companies that are breaking new ground. If you are one of those companies, please share your story as widely as possible, because we all need to benefit from other’s experience and advice.

This blog was first published on the Voice At The Table website ?

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