A better way to belong.

The world seems increasingly divided across many aspects of our lives - our identities, beliefs, location, class, etc. These divisions are reinforced through our media and how we do politics.

Because we feel this disconnection, we go in search of our tribe. When we find them, we can want to cling closely to them. Not wanting to lose them and feel disconnected again, our tribe sets out to protect itself from not-our-tribe.

In the workplace, this manifests as silos and cliques that result in poor behaviours that lower engagement, fulfilment and productivity. But that understates the devastating impact of feeling excluded. You may have heard me talk about the high costs of social pain before. Exclusion is perhaps the costliest.

Think of it this way. When we have a paper cut, a broken leg or a baby, we can't recall the experience of the physical pain. [If we could, there may be fewer siblings - ouch!] Try re-feeling an injury you had. You can't. But let's take some simple examples of social pain. Did you ever experience a slight from the mean girl when you were twelve that said you weren't invited? Or were you told you were too 'something' [young, old, fat, skinny, pretty, poor, uncool, unathletic, etc] and not one of us? Or were you consistently picked last for team games? Most likely, as soon as you return to that moment, you feel the social pain it caused - the hurt, shame, embarrassment. And it can still affect you decades later.

So, how do we start to encourage a broader sense of belonging at work?

Giving connects two people, the giver and receiver, and this connection gives birth to a new sense of belonging. Deepak Chopra

It begins with good leadership, greater awareness and engagement with the organisation's values. No workplace has values that say, "We create silos and division at every opportunity". It's a pretty good bet that collaboration, teamwork and inclusion are in there somewhere. And if not in the values, they are in the code of conduct.

Ask yourself, how do our leaders become vocal advocates and exemplars of the organisation's values? Do our teams and employees know the importance of belonging and how it affects what they do each day? And how do we have positive conversations about the values and behaviours that build a cohesive workplace?

Fostering a sense of belonging is not just a feel-good concept; it's a critical factor for success. Workplace belonging, the feeling that you are valued, respected, and an integral part of your organisation, profoundly impacts individuals and the overall environment. And perhaps, if our team or workplace get it right, it can be a beacon for how we connect beyond the workplace.

Stay well,

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