Creating a Culture of Belonging
In the fairly recent past, it was normal to have one or two jobs for an entire career and to live in one or two cities for your whole life. The norms are changing. It’s now common to have ten or more jobs in a career, to live in a dozen different cities or even different countries. You’ll find people who are dentists by day and musicians by night. The next generation might be the most diverse, in a variety of ways, that we’ve ever seen. The career model has certainly changed and with it, our sense of belonging.
People are becoming friends with others who they’ve never actually met in person. They are becoming long-time co-workers with people in other countries. They’ll go through junior high and high school with a group of friends, become a part of a new group in college, and then third and fourth groups in their careers. It’s easy to start to wonder where and with whom they belong, and feeling like you don’t belong is a sad and confusing feeling.
Belonging and Attrition
It should come as no surprise that employees who do not have that sense of belonging in their workplace are more likely to leave. On the other hand, employees who feel like they belong not only stick around, they perform better. About 40 percent of Americans feel physically and emotionally isolated in the workplace, according to an EY Belonging Barometer Study launched by the Center for Talent Innovation. Are you doing everything you can to make your employees feel like they belong? Here are a few strategies to try:
Psychologically Safe Space
Google conducted a two-year study to find out what constitutes a successful Google team and the No. 1 component is “psychological safety.” The most effective teams know that they can take risks and voice new ideas without fear of being embarrassed if they don’t pan out. Are your employees so afraid of failure that they aren’t voicing potentially effective ideas?
Check In
Talk to them, and not just about work or the news. 60 percent of employees have never spoken to anyone at work about their mental health status. Employees feel a greater sense of belonging when they are able to talk about their personal lives with coworkers. It creates a more inclusive environment that feels less like work and more like a social life. It feels like others genuinely care about what is going on outside of the office doors.
Feedback Loops
Companies that put too much emphasis on negative feedback perform worse than those that focus on balanced feedback. It’s important to practice gratitude which has been proven to be effective in the workplace. Our brains are wired to focus on the negative and brush over the positive. Yes, we expect our employees and coworkers to do good work, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t acknowledge their success. Give shout-outs to employees or compliment people on things they did outside of work. Maybe they raised money for charity or got a few employees to volunteer together. Whatever it is, make positive feedback a regular thing at work.
Keep Track Of Happiness
Make it a goal to increase happiness in the workplace instead of just having “satisfied” employees. Conduct regular surveys to get an idea of how happy your employees are with their jobs. If you want the real truth, make them anonymous. People tend to go easy on their employers in surveys for fear of backlash. An anonymous survey will allow them to be more truthful about their experiences.
In the ever-changing and fluid time that we live in, it can be difficult to get a sense of belonging. But we must do what we can to find it for ourselves and create it for others in order for us all to reach our full potential. Do you or your organization desire change? Contact us today!