Human beings are social creatures. Whether it’s through our families, hobbies or social groups, we feel an instinctual need to be a part of a community in some shape or form. But being part of a group is different than feeling like you belong to one, which can have a positive impact on your wellbeing.
When you’re exploring how to create a culture of belonging in your own workplace, it’s important to identify exactly how creating this environment can benefit your team and encourage them to bring their best selves to work.
Being seen:
Being recognized for who you are as well as being respected and rewarded for it.
Feeling connected:
Having authentic, positive interactions with your colleagues and senior leaders.
Feeling supported:
Feeling that your peers and managers can give you what you need to complete your work and live a full life.
Feeling proud:
You feel that your company’s values align with your own, and you feel proud to come to work with an aligned purpose and vision.
Practicing REAL Leadership:
REAL stands for relatable, equitable, aware and loyal. In short, leaders who make an effort to relate to employees who are different from them are taking the first step in actively creating a culture of belonging and connection. Managers must also ensure that equity in pay, hiring practices and team and manager-employee relationships is respected across all team members, while remaining aware and invested in team’s goals and creating genuine connections. Lastly, developing a reputation for being a loyal manager goes a long way to create psychologically safe spaces for employees to thrive.
Leading with empathy:
Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is an important skill in both life and the workplace. Leading with empathy requires you to take note of how each person on your team participates on a general level, and how you need to respond to their body language, voice and facial expressions when they come to you with concerns. When an employee feels like they’ve been heard and understood, they are more likely to feel like they are an important part of the group.
Creating safe spaces:
Creating a culture of belonging involves building psychologically safe relationships with your employees. This means helping your team members feel like they can approach you with honest concerns, questions or feedback that is not met with retaliation or punishment.
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In New York, DeVry University operates as DeVry College of New York. DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), www.hlcommission.org. The University’s Keller Graduate School of Management is included in this accreditation. DeVry is certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Arlington Campus: 1400 Crystal Dr., Ste. 120, Arlington, VA 22202. DeVry University is authorized for operation as a postsecondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, www.tn.gov/thec. Naperville Campus: 1200 E. Diehl Rd., Naperville, IL 60563. Unresolved complaints may be reported to the Illinois Board of Higher Education through the online compliant system https://complaints.ibhe.org/. View DeVry University’s complaint process https://www.devry.edu/compliance/student-complaint-procedure.html Program availability varies by location. In site-based programs, students will be required to take a substantial amount of coursework online to complete their program.
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