When conversations around the benefits of diversity and inclusion occur, they usually center around the value of differing perspectives and expertise. A recent Gallup article titled “What Drives a Culture of Belonging” indicates that in order to obtain this value, an organization must drive a culture that promotes a sense of belonging beyond just being included.
Belonging starts from the top down
The sense of belonging, or the feeling of being one’s authentic self, is one of the first steps toward organizations realizing the benefits of diversity and inclusion. According to the Gallup article, by implementing “culturally competent management,” employees feel they can show up as their authentic selves. This is created by driving a culture of recognizing individualism and appreciating its value. Culturally competent leadership can identify individual talents and apply them in a collective framework. Creating such an environment affords organizations the benefits of superior talent attraction, retention, and enhanced performance.
Tribe’s nationwide research and the Gallup article concur that employees feel more comfortable sharing ideas or insights with management and coworkers when they feel like they are a part of something greater than themselves. So, in addition to feeling like they’re able to be their authentic selves, employees also need to feel like they can be themselves to engage authentically with others. Internal communications like weekly cultural newsletters can help drive these efforts. Want to leverage your newsletters to engage your employees better and drive a culture of belonging? Tribe can help.
Opinions matter
Employees say they feel most creative in a collaborative environment when they feel seen and heard. A culture of belonging provides the atmosphere for this by creating acceptance of differing opinions and ways to implement and improve the ideas developed during the collaborative process. As hybrid culture becomes the norm, organizations have been tasked with finding new ways to drive this culture of belonging and engage employees creatively and collaboratively. One method Tribe has used to provide a venue for employees to be seen and heard is videos of employees commenting on cultural issues. Review Tribe’s Best Practices sheet on Hybrid Culture for further information.
When we drive a culture of belonging and make it easy for employees to feel comfortable sharing their ideas, we’ll see one of the essential benefits of diversity and inclusion: collaboration that leads to happier employees, clients, and revenues.
Interested in building your culture’s sense of belonging? Tribe can help.
