Belonging is the feeling one has when one is in the right place. A culture of inclusion involves creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected and valued.
The data
A Deloitte study released in December 2023 explores the reasons why people don’t fully participate and give their all in the workplace.
A sense of not belonging is why 73% of those surveyed are not active in their workplace, and 53% say they think what they have to say will make others feel uncomfortable.
It also shows that 76% feel they cannot be authentically themselves, which stops them from taking an active part. If people are not fully committed to their work and do not feel safe to express disagreement or have a different point of view, it hurts both the individual and the organization.
The feeling that when one shows oneself fully in a professional and personal light, it can harm him/her, leads to “covering up“. In the survey, 56% said that their commitment to the organization is decreasing because of pressure of “masking”.
Strategies to increase belonging
Among the strategies for increasing people’s engagement is for managers to allocate tasks according to the strengths of their team members. Also, when they contribute to a task, it is good to recognize their achievement to give the individual a sense of personal significance. When one feels that his/her work is meaningful, one is more likely to contribute.
Reducing the pressure to cover up, increasing people’s sense of belonging and encouraging their engagement can be great strategies to get the team to contribute more, but none are easy to implement.
One way is for each team member to be assigned a role, figuratively put on a “hat” and think and share ideas through the perspective of their role. Thus, when discussing a new idea, one can think about the short-term effects, another about the long-term, and a third can put themself in the customer’s shoes. In this way, everyone’s participation is encouraged and different points of view are discussed.
