Blog 3 in our series looks at how to encourage feelings of belonging in your teams and how data can drive this strategy…
Do you even know me?
You must get to know your people and your team. Everyone has their own story: take the time to get to know each of these. This means giving them your full attention. Trust is built on understanding and connecting with people. You want to trust your employees, but they also need to be able to trust you and your organisation. By sharing your company’s mission, vision and values, you’ll create a two-way sense of belonging, which will drive a more inclusive work environment and culture.
Encourage connections
For your team to feel a genuine sense of belonging, it’s important to encourage any opportunities for them to connect. This could mean personalising introductions, events or spaces for people to get to know each other, learn and grow. This could also include ERGs/CRGs, office socials and activities, all of which bring people together.
Create a home from home
Your office is your team’s home, so it’s vital to create a warm, safe space. Everyone loves a trip to the kitchen for a cuppa and a chat; don’t underestimate the value of these conversations and the effect they have on your team’s wellbeing.
Your organisation may have a forward-thinking vision and amazing employee perks but how well have you actually communicated this to people internally?
Often, we’re so focused on trying to bring in new talent that we forget about our existing, loyal team…
Be sure to communicate your organisation’s mission, values, strategies, objectives and key results (OKRs) – and the role they will play in achieving those OKRs. This will mean they’re more likely to be engaged and motivated and will make them feel like they have a real purpose. It will also clarify how their work contributes to the wider business, encouraging a feeling of belonging (think back to the business case for diversity, inclusion and belonging).
When you’re defining these strategies, be sure to embed diversity, inclusion and belonging into your culture, processes and policies – it should be at the very heart of your organisation. Diversity, inclusion and belonging is a journey and there’s no quick fix. It needs to be part of everyday life.
How we’ve used data to drive belonging and inclusion
Below are some examples of how we’ve created actions from our belonging and inclusion data at eSynergy:
These examples perfectly illustrate that we should all be thinking outside the box! Be innovative and don’t be afraid to put your head above the parapet!
If you’d like to know more about our diversity, inclusion and belonging journey, please drop me a line and be sure to keep an eye out for the Beequal event.
