A Sense of Belonging
In part of Danny Langloss' article on the seven pillars of ownership, he used the metaphor of renting versus owning. And how we treat things differently when we own something versus when renting it. There is a greater sense of commitment and investment.
And one of the seven pillars he focuses on is a sense of belonging,
So, why is "belonging" so important?
A 2019 study by BetterUp found that workplace belonging can lead to an estimated 56 percent increase in job performance, a 50 percent reduction in turnover risk, and a 75 percent decrease in employee sick days. The study found that a single incidence of "micro-exclusion" can lead to an immediate 25 percent decline in an individual's performance on a team project.1
Just think about it… what could your organization do if your staff's performance went up over 50%? Or if turnover went down by 50%? If sick days decreased over all?
Danny shares what he calls "drivers" to belonging. Feeling seen, heard, Valued, and cared for.
So what does this mean for us?
Revisiting "respect". Literally discussing what respect looks like, feels like, and sounds like? Once we have these "concrete understandings" rather than assumptions ('cause we know what happens when we assume!), we apply them to specific circumstances, such as how are differences handled.
Relooking at connection. How do we build a sense of community where connections are authentic and meaningful? Where people feel they're a part of the team, not just in a team?
Redefining contribution. This goes beyond roles and responsibilities to truly understand how one's individual efforts and talents align with and contribute to the organization's vision and mission. And just for the record… "Belonging based on contribution does not require people to agree on everything. Instead, it celebrates individuals' and teams' diversity of thought in ways that promote their commitment to shared outcomes, enabling them to engage in discussions considering various perspectives to reach an agreement. When teams are united by a common purpose, differences in opinion on matters unrelated to that purpose can become less relevant—and differences in opinion on how to achieve that purpose become grounds for reasonable dialogue rather than a source of divisiveness.
I know, I know! There's a lot to consider when you're just trying to make sure you have enough people to meet ratios. And that's why I'll drop in a few resources next week to get you started.