We know when we DON’T have a sense of belonging, even though we may not be able to put our finger on what the problem is. And when we DO have a sense of belonging, we can identify what is happening in and around us to instill that sense of belonging.
Specific to business results, it’s been said that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. I believe that organizations can reflect Diversity, foster Inclusion, and perhaps reach Equity at various levels, but still not have Belonging because people don’t know what that means in terms of what Belonging looks, acts, feels, and sounds like.
In those contexts, I like to say that unless we can EXPLAIN aspects of Belonging IN THESE TERMS, it will be hard to ATTAIN aspects of Belonging ON ANY TERMS. That being the case, it is crucial that consistent, noticeable alignment between an organization’s stated and demonstrated values exists that emphasizes a sense of belonging as a top priority for everyone.
As an activity that will feed your leadership soul, think about how consistently you and other leaders in your organization maintain alignment between stated and demonstrated values in ways that emphasize a sense of belonging as a top priority for everyone.