Creating a Sense of Belonging in the Workplace

And welcome back to the Morning Blend. Today, small efforts that can have a big impact at work. These are simple, everyday things that we can all do to recognize coworkers who are often overlooked and underappreciated. Beth Ridley is a leadership expert and workplace culture consultant. Hey, Beth.

Hi, Molly. Good morning.

Good morning to you. And I think the point of this is that we're sort of extending Black History Month because we all know that February is about celebrating the achievements throughout our history of African Americans. But I like the way that you're taking a broader look at this, too, and not just February, but all year long, but also just recognizing and celebrating, making sure that people get their due at work where they're maybe underappreciated.

Yes, that's exactly right. And it's so important. I mean, obviously, we've hired people into the workplace. We want to get the best out of them. And, you know, being recognized and feeling a sense of belonging is really important. So I think it's really about taking the spirit of Black History Month sort of that recognition of important value that people bring and carrying it all year long in small ways that make a big difference.

So I think we all have this innate sense of what it means to belong, starting at a really young age. But as a workplace and culture consultant, how do you define it?

Yeah. So belonging really is the feeling of acceptance, inclusion, and feeling at the end of the day that you can be yourself and you can speak up authentically without fear of retribution.

So I want to talk about why it's so important at work in just a little bit. But first, I was hoping you could give us some tips on how to make people feel more included, more like they belong, starting with your first tip, which is to just be more present with others.

Yeah, that's exactly right. I mean, I call these just everyday acts of inclusion that are easy to do, but we get so busy sometimes that we're not thoughtful and simply just present with the. The people who are around us. And so small things like the one I really love is use someone's name when you're speaking to them. So someone's name is really their greatest connection to their identity and what makes them unique. And when you hear your name, it's almost like music to your ears. So when I say, good morning, Molly, that means I'm actually acknowledging you and I'm being more present with you.

I totally get it, Beth. And I appreciate that. I do think it's true. It's like so much research shows that people like the sound of Their own names. Your second tip is to express appreciation toward others. This also seems so simple.

Yeah, it seems so simple. But again, we're always in a rush and always in execution mode. But not just appreciation in terms of thank you, but also letting people know what they uniquely do. Well, maybe the unique contribution that they bring to the team. And I think that's important so people really understand how they are uniquely adding value.

You say to be curious about others, and I think this one sometimes is a tricky one for people because we try. Try to be respectful, and so we're not always sure if it's okay to express curiosity.

Yeah, I think there's definitely ways of doing it without being, like, overly nosy or intrusive. But I think people can always tell the difference when you're being curious out of compassion and consideration. And so I think even things like asking someone about their weekend plans, which is what we always do, but then do we follow up on Monday to ask, how did the plans go? I mean, that shows that you're truly interested in someone. And I also say I like to ask more thoughtful, interesting questions than just, how are you? Which is what we always ask. And people gloss over that. But asking something like, what are you excited about today? Or are you learning anything new? So there's a ton of, I think, thoughtful questions that just show that you're actually interested in the person that's in front of you.

Yeah, it's funny, I think so often we get used to hearing how are you? Or what's up? And sometimes people don't even respond to that in a regular passing them in the hall greeting. So I think it's such a great point that you make. And then the fourth point is inviting others into the conversation. What I like about this is I think when you invite someone into a conversation, you're showing that not only that you want them to be part of it or that they belong, but also that you respect their and value their opinion. Yeah.

And I think this one is really, really important in terms of better decision making, because not one person has all the answers. And it's better to look at a problem or an opportunity with a broad and inclusive lens. And you can only do that when you invite other people into the conversation. What do you think? Do you have any ideas? And that's how you're going to get to better decision making?

Why do you think that belonging is so important at work?

Yeah, I mean, I think it goes back to that last point. Like, when people feel comfortable at work, they're more likely to speak up and contribute. And when you have more people contributing, that leads to better and more thoughtful decision making, which leads to better results from a business standpoint. And there really is a ton of research out there that has quantified the impact, the positive impact on business when people feel that they can be more of themselves versus feeling like they're always trying to fit in. And when people are fitting in, it's actually a phenomenon called masking. They're more worried about fitting in than offering up their ideas and their unique contribution at work.

It's so critical. It's an interesting term that's so important. And I also like that your ideas are so simple. These aren't things that we have to overthink. They're things that we can all do every day.

Yes, exactly. Everyday acts of inclusion.

I love it. Beth, thank you so much. Important conversation. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Molly.