We Belong Together, and You Know That I'm Right...

Boyz II Men anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on! I couldn’t resist mentioning a 90s R&B classic as a far-fetched segue to this newsletter edition on belonging!

Three facts on belonging:

1. Humans can experience a lack of belonging as literal pain

2. In academic settings, a low sense of belonging can result in individuals underperforming academically

3. During the Great Resignation, belonging showed up as a key driver for workforce attrition

There’s strong evidence that individual and team belonging can be a foundation for real ROI at work. Individuals who belong take fewer sick days, stay at the organization longer, and are more resilient. 💪🏽 Team-level belonging can be a powerful driver of team cohesion: a sense of togetherness that can help a team stay focused and agile in the face of endless disruption.

These days, many organizations face a crisis of belonging. A difficult return-to-office policy can fracture how people feel pride or connectedness at work. A series of layoffs can leave the surviving workforce feeling unsupported or vulnerable. 😿😿 In these moments, leaders need to turn up the volume on belonging. When you have the tools to do this well, a team can continue to excel, even in difficult times.

So, what is a genuine sense of belonging? In my forthcoming book, The Alchemy of Talent, I cite Coqual’s brilliant workplace definition of belonging. According to their research, a person belongs when they feel:

• Seen

• Connected

• Proud

• Supported

I’ve linked the Coqual study above if you want to dig into these individual factors, but I love how each of these terms are easily relatable, as human beings. Think about your life…where do you belong? In your family? As part of a values-based organization? In your faith community? On your team at work? When you visualize this space of belonging, think about each factor above. What does it mean for you to be seen, connected, proud, and supported in this space? That’s it right there: the DNA of individual belonging. Leaders can scale this feeling for their team, and unlock its benefits, if they have the skills.

Here’s one quick tip from my chapter on belonging in The Alchemy of Talent: master the art and science of recognition. Recognition, done right, can enhance all four belonging factors at the team level. And, it does not have to involve a budget! Gostick and Elston’s approach to recognition comes from exhaustive research and is beautifully simple. Leaders need to ensure their recognition efforts are:

• Frequent: Don’t wait for a big annual awards banquet! People need the recognition nudge on a steady drip, especially in VUCA times!

• Specific: Avoid vague/general praise. “Good job on the thing you did…” actually reduces belonging. Know what your team is working on, why they deserve praise, and be specific in how you name their wins.

• Timely: Give recognition as close to the moment of effort, achievement, or learning as possible. Lengthy delays between the effort and the recognition decrease the belonging impact of the gesture.

I often coach leaders to consider themselves as the “Chief Celebrator of Small Wins” when leading their team through a particularly tough patch. Hone in on recognition, and do it right, and your team can continue to perform at a high level, riding on the updrafts of belonging. ✈️

Did you notice that one of the four parts of the definition of belonging is feeling “connected”? Connectedness is about the interactions we have with our coworkers and, when done correctly, connection can be a true catalyst for peak performance. Stay tuned for the next newsletter, where I’ll talk about this final catalyst in the Alchemy of Talent.