The Power of Belonging: Why Inclusion is Not Enough
The Power of Belonging: Why Inclusion is Not Enough
We discuss the three key steps to fostering belonging: creating psychological safety, aligning organizational values with employees, and promoting authenticity. Leaders play a critical role in establishing psychological safety within the organization, by being open to feedback, valuing unique characteristics, and celebrating diversity in all forms.
We also touch on the importance of encouraging feedback, aligning personal and organizational values, and creating an environment where employees feel comfortable being themselves.
Join us as we explore the importance of belongingness in the workplace and the steps we can take to get there.
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Topics covered in the episode:
- Introduction
– Importance of creating a sense of belongingness in the workplace
– Benefits of having a culture of belongingness - Belongingness vs Inclusion
– Understanding the difference between belongingness and inclusion - Why Belongingness Matters
– The importance of building a workplace culture where employees feel connected and part of something larger than themselves
– How feeling a sense of belongingness can impact employee performance and engagement - Key Steps to Fostering Belongingness
– Psychological safety
– Value alignment
– Authenticity - Psychological Safety
– Importance of creating psychologically safe environments
– Role of leadership in establishing psychological safety
– What psychological safety means - Alignment of Values
– Aligning organizational values with employee’s values and goals
– Communicating organizational values effectively
– Creating opportunities for employees to share their values - Authenticity in the Workplace
– Importance of creating an environment where employees can be themselves
– Encouraging vulnerability
– Celebrating diversity in all forms - Conclusion
– Challenges and commitment required in building a culture of belongingness
– Opportunities for growth and change in creating a more inviting and accepting workplace culture.
Timeline:
[00:00:00] Inclusion is treating everyone with dignity and respect, and welcoming and valuing them regardless of identity or background. We should broaden our perspectives beyond our current understanding.
[00:01:39] Belongingness is essential for creating a work culture that resonates with every employee’s beliefs and values, where everyone feels included and truly belongs, and it should be a key performance indicator in business.
[00:03:18] The difference between being alone and lonely, pondering how included employees feel, journey towards belongingness through psychological safety, alignment of values, and authenticity.
[00:04:26] Creating psychological safety involves emotional and intellectual safety, encouraging risk-taking, and building a culture of trust and respect through communication and inclusivity. A top-down commitment is necessary.
[00:05:30] Leaders should lead by example, encourage communication, embrace feedback, create a learning culture, align values, and communicate organization’s values clearly.
[00:06:26] Live your values, encourage employee dialogue, promote authenticity.
[00:07:34] Acknowledge employees as individuals, celebrate their diversity, create a psychologically safe environment for them to share ideas.
[00:08:54] Effective leaders should embrace critical feedback, admit to mistakes, and demonstrate humility. Ongoing value alignment involves accommodating employees’ personal beliefs and goals, remaining flexible, and engaging in two-way dialogue.
[00:09:40] Encouraging diversity and authenticity in the workplace requires effort and a commitment to change.
[00:10:44] Belonging in the workplace leads to increased productivity and engaged employees who bring their best selves to work.